New Year's Eve...

last year was one of the worst days of my life. We found out that my grandfather's cancer had metastasized and that he had 6 months to live. Not exactly the best way to ring in the new year...

My life has changed drastically during 2008.

Two of my most precious family members have left this world.

I am a senior in college.

Justin is a college graduate and no longer in Athens.

I'm engaged!!!

This year's New Year's Eve was spent a bit differently.... wedding dress shopping!
I've found my dress (quite ecstatic about that!) and hope I've set a happy tone for 2009. :-)

Goodbye 2008, I really don't think I'll miss you one bit.

Happy New Year everyone!

~BK

Catch-up Photo Post

Two photos from our engagement day:




My lovely engagement ornaments:




(The glare wouldn't let me get my own photo so I took this from Hallmark's site)

The ring: (Bear with my photography, I was trying to avoid showing my non-manicured hand and be a bit Christmas creative...which I probably failed miserably at!)






A few shots from Justin's birthday which was December 19th:

Yes, I do own more than one sweater...hehe.



And cutie Jackson:




Well, off to nibble on more fudge. I made my first batch ever, using the recipe on the back of the Marshmallow creme jar, and it turned out pretty good, I was shocked!

Can't believe tomorrow is Christmas Eve!

~BK

Whew

I have had a surprisingly productive past few days!

Thursday, my mom and I finished up our Christmas shopping. We were gone practically all day, but we're done!

Yesterday, we wrapped everything (except for the one gift Justin picked up for me today and a gift that came in the mail today). So I'm practically done with the wrapping.

Today, I cleaned out my closet. I'm embarrassed to say how many huge garbage bags I filled up. It's amazing how much stuff one person can accumulate. This evening me and my dad rolled $84.50 worth in pennies! It took awhile, but we decided we would add the money to the wedding fund, every penny counts. :-)

Tomorrow, I plan to clean out my desk drawers and bathroom and Justin and I are going to help my grandmother re-pot some plants.

I'm definitely proud of my progress in the re-organizing category, it's long over due!!!

Hope your weekend is going well! 5 days till Christmas!

~BK

I'm Done

I'm done, I'm done, I'm done!!!!

One more semester of college to go!

I can finally focus on Christmas, catch up with friends and family, and let the fact that I'm engaged sink in! :-)

Only 9 days till Christmas!!!

~BK

So I lied (check out why --- it's GOOD!)

I said I wouldn't be back until Tuesday, but I just had to share this news with my blogging gals!

I'm engaged!!!!!!!!!!

After six years of dating, we are thrilled!!!

Quick scenario:

Last night Justin told me he was working this morning (he often works on Saturdays for some OT money if there is work available) and I responded that I would be getting up around 8 to study. So this morning he leaves for work like usual (around 5:30) and calls me when he "gets there." I go back to sleep like always and wake up around 8.

As an important sidenote, my dog sleeps in my room and when my dad leaves for work he comes and opens my door and Jackson goes with my dad to get walked. So when daddy got him this morning he said "be sure to check on Jackson when you get up" (this is about 7:45). Fifteen minutes later I get up and see a note on the table that says "BK, check on Jackson. Love, Dad" I go to my mom's room to complain that he's told me twice to check on Jackson when I always do first thing in the morning. She brushed it off and told me to go see if he ate.

Another important sidenote- Jackson will not eat if someone is in the room.

I get to the basement and Jackson is eating. Beside his bowl is a single red rose and a card (sweetest thing ever!). I read the card and inside it, it said PS. "Don't be startled when you turn around :-) ."

I turned around and no one was there. I said "Hmmmmm" (which Justin says was hilarious). I told Jackson I better get back upstairs before I ruin a surprise. I put the card back down and then picked it up and read it one more time. When I stood up to go, there he was down on one knee and well the rest is history.

He chose to do it where he did because it was the first place he told me he loved me. I can honestly say his proposal was just what I wanted. No one around, just us, low key, me having NO clue, and just everything.

Ahhhh! We have a wedding to plan!

How will I ever bring myself to study ;-)

~BK

Final exams....

start tomorrow (genetics). Followed by a weekend full of studying. Followed by a Medicinal Herbs and Plants Final on Monday, followed by a Microbiology and Human Geography final on Tuesday.

Pray for me.

This describes how I feel... (it will enlarge if you click it)



Have a good weekend! I'll be back to celebrate on Tuesday, regardless how they turn out, I'll be done with only one semester of college left!

~BK

Stolen from...

brown hair a'blowin!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? wrapping paper. Much more thrilling!

2. Tree--Real or Artificial? Artificial. I'm allergic to the real ones. It only takes about five minutes...

3. When do you put Christmas tree up? Thanksgiving Day because my mom is off work and we don't do our family gathering until that evening so it works out well.

4. When do you take the tree down? usually the day after or close to it.

5. Like eggnog? It depends. I had an eggnog frap today from Starbucks and it was amazing!

6. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, a few posts back I posted a photo of it. :-)

7. Favorite gift received as a child? Probably my fish aquarium. I was in awe!

8. Hardest person to buy for? My dad. He'll never say what he wants!

9. Easiest person to buy for? Everyone else, lol.

10. Worst Christmas gift? LOL, I'm not going there.

11. Mail or email a Christmas Card? We don't send them out, either way, but I love getting them in the mail!

12. Favorite Christmas movie? The Holiday.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? The day after Thanksgiving.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes, I'm a broke college student, ha!

15. Favorite food to eat on Christmas? Homemade fudge.

16. Lights on tree? Of course. Lots of white lights!

17. Favorite Christmas Song? Oddly enough, Silver Bells. Random, I know.

18. Travel during Christmas or Stay home? On Christmas day, I'd want to be home, but I'd like to be able to travel sometime over my break. The Christmas I went to Aspen, CL was so much fun. An actual white (close to) Christmas was amazing.

19. Can you name Santa's reindeer's? That would require too much thinking.

20. Angel or Star on Tree top? It's a star with angel carolers on it. I love it!

21. Open presents on Christmas Eve or morning? We do two Christmases on Christmas Eve (one of my grandmothers and Justin's grandparents), the big Christmas on Christmas morn with my parents, and a last Christmas with my other grandmother on Christmas evening. Confusing, eh?

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Not having money to get everyone a gift.

23. Favorite ornament? I have a collection of ornaments that started with my birth year and those are my favorite! My great-grandmother also made some beautiful snowflake ornaments that I love.

24. What do you want for Christmas this year? Free time to spend with family and friends. I can't wait!

Friday Show and Tell...

a bit delayed!

Amy did Friday Show and Tell once, and I thought it was cute!

I actually had something to show and tell this week but never got around to posting it yesterday.

I took my camera with me while I was walking Jackson and snapped a few photos.

I kept hearing a noise and finally found the culprit...


This little guy!



Close up of the woodpecker.


Shot of one of the last trees on our street with pretty leaves.

In other news: I took my last genetic test yesterday. It ran 40 minutes over!!! And on a Friday of all things. Now I'm gearing up for four finals. My first one is Friday the 12th, in genetics of course. Ahhhh!!!

I can't wait to have this semester under my belt, then it's only one to go!!!! I can see the light at the end of the undergraduate tunnel!

Have a great weekend!

~BK

Santa came early...

for Jackson!!!

Justin went to Ace Hardware the morning of Black Friday to get some tools for my dad and I had saw a little dog bed in their sales paper for $4.95 so he bought that too. Jackson has actually never had one. He either sleeps snuggled right up against me in m bed or in a rocking chair when I'm not there. His reaction to his bed was so funny. He climbed right in, and we could tell he was so proud!



I love my little fella!

Well off to start this day. Happy Wednesday!

~BK

The Christmas decor is

up!!!

(Excuse my poor photography skills!)



Our very mini Christmas Village

Our Kitchen Decor

My new Willow Tree Nativity!!! I've been building it piece by piece and got the last pieces at Christmas last year so this is the first year it's been out! I LOVE it!

Our neighbor made this! Always goes on the couch.

The tree, missing the topper at the moment.

The fireplace. Mama, Daddy, Bliss, Justin, and Jackson's stockings. :-)

Couldn't resist sharing this. He just had to be in a photo!

Mistletoe ;-)

Now it's time for Santa deary to do his part...



~BK

Dog Treats...

that's what I've been thinking about for the past 24 hours.

I have a project due in my Medicinal Herbs and Plants class. We had to make an herbal product, write a paper about it, and make a tri-fold. I worked on the tri-fold yesterday, and it's almost complete. I also made my product: herbal dog treats. (And if you're wondering spices are considered herbs, hence the HERBAL dog treats are created with the addition of ginger, cloves, and cinnamon.) And yes, I still have to write the paper. Always put it off for as long as I can!

Here's the recipe if you're interested. It wasn't hard at all to make. Also, I bought a dog bone shaped cookie cutter from Michaels and they ended up so cute!


Ingredients:
1 cup molasses
4 tablespoons honey
1 cup water
½ cup vegetable oil
6 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger or one tsp. of dried powder ginger

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the molasses, honey, water, and oil in a medium bowl. In another large bowl mix the flour, the baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Combine well. Divide this dough in four sections and roll each piece into a ball, wrap each ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 – 5 hours.

After the dough is well-chilled Put dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll dough out into 1/4 “ thickness. Cut dough with a cookie cutter into gingerbread men or other fun shapes. You could use carob bits to form the eyes and buttons if you like. Bake 10 – 15 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned around the edges and firm.

And a few photos (which I had to take to display on my tri-fold)


Rolling the dough



Justin lifting up Jackson to smell the dough. He was sniffing around the kitchen like crazy trying to figure out what that yummy smell was.


A taste test with Jackson


Checking it out


Give me back the rest of my treat!


Do you seriously have to take the rest of these to school? (Cheated a bit, I didn't take this last night- haha!)

Hope you have a wonderful day!

~BK

Our Anniversary was...

so much fun!!! Justin had made reservations at a restaurant, but we also wanted to find a day activity to do as well. We had originally planned to go to a farm on the outskirts of Greenville where you can pick apples, but due to the low temps they removed all the apples from the trees to prevent them from freezing, so that was out. We actually headed to Greenville with no certain plans other than dinner.

The first place we went was Paris Mountain State Park. We had a picnic and walked one of the trails. It was beautiful. The leaves were gorgeous and Lake Placid was most definitely placid. :-)







Afterwards, we stopped here for coffee to warm up. I originally snapped a photo to show how thin the building was, but my photography skills failed miserably. It was the neatest building though. It had a spiral staircase inside with tons of neat artwork. Behind the store was a huge antique store. We could of spent hours in there! They had they neatest old camera that we loved, but that was most definitely out of our price range, and tons of other really cool old stuff.




Next we headed to the beautiful Falls Park. We took tons of photos, but I'll only bore you with a few.






After that, we changed clothes and headed to the restaurant. We ate at Stax Peppermill. It was sooooo good!!! Justin did very well in picking a place that I would love. I was surprised to see these on the table when we arrived:


And our waitress snapped this of us too.



Then we rode through the beautiful downtown Greenville and back through Falls Park to see the bridge all lit up which was so neat (but I forgot to photograph it).



Overall it was a fabulous day. I'm usually such a planner, but it was so nice to just figure out things as we went. I hope you had an equally good weekend!



~BK