Mardi Gras in the South

I love any excuse to get dressed up and go dance, eat, and drink all night long! Oh and did I mention get out of school for 2 days!! 

Well Mardi Gras is a BIG deal down here in Fairhope/Mobile! Parades and Mardi Gras Balls for 3 - 4 weeks and everyone was out of school for 2 days! Even things like Doctors offices and the YMCA closed down...

We enjoyed the Fairhope Mardi Gras Parade with our sweet friends - the Gardner's and the Stillman's 

If you notice...Mal and I are looking a little tan! We went and got a 'light' spray tan so we had a little more color in our ball gowns ~ LOVED IT!!!!! I would do it again in a heartbeat and recommend it! I was so scared I was going to look like an oomph loompa (sp?) but I think it turned out great! 

Point Clear Parade

We got lots of beads!! 

 MOT Mardi Gras Ball in Mobile

Love these great friends! 

Dancing the night away to Fly By Radio! 

After the MOT Ball! Love this guy. 

Our first Mardi Gras experience was so much fun!!! We can't wait for next year! 

Monster Cookie Bars

I feel like I gain weight just making these bars...but they are worth EVERY calorie!! 

just look at these things....

I know right?!?  You want to eat one right now! Well here is the recipe!! 

Recipe from...  http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2012/08/monster-majic-cookie-bars.html

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup salted butter (see Note)
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 3/4 cups old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup peanut butter chips
• 1/2 chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup mini M&Ms (or regular)

Instructions

1. Note: You can use unsalted butter here but with all the sweetness in the recipe it really is good to have to salt to counteract it. So if you use unsalted butter, you can either add 1/4 teaspoon salt to the graham cracker crumbs or sprinkle salt on top after the bars have baked.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place butter in a microwave safe bowl and heat up for about 30-60 seconds or until melted.
3. Combine butter and graham cracker crumbs in a medium bowl and then press the graham cracker crumbs into a parchment lined 9x13 baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
4. Evenly pour the sweetened condensed milk over the graham cracker layer. Sprinkle the oats, peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, and M&Ms evenly over the sweetened condensed milk and gently press in a little. Remember that all of the toppings are approximate so add more or less depending on what you like.
5. Bake at 350º for 20-25 minutes or until brown. Cool and slice into squares to serve.

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Now on to my weakness...STARBURST JELLY BEANS!!!  

I was at Target last week (no surprise there) and I saw this bag of ALL pink and red jelly beans IN THE SAME BAG!!!! I was beyond excited! 

Just thought everyone should know that they do exist. 

FAVORITE Time of the Year!

Little late but... Here are some pictures from our Christmas Season. This Christmas seemed extra special since we now live 4 hours away and we were in town for the whole week! 

Picking out our Christmas Tree! 

Final Product! 

We had the Cheerleading (JV and Varsity) Party at our house the week before Christmas and it was so much fun! The girls brought delicious food and played Dirty Santa! 

This is Chesley...We coach cheerleading together! I would be lost here in Baldwin County without her!

We had a High School Tacky Christmas Party at Jay's house!! It was so great to see all this amazing friends! 

I got to spend time with my sweet amazing Homewood teacher friends that I miss so much! We did Mexican night of course! 

We got to spend some of Christmas Day with our best friends Hunter and Leslie! 

Daniel and I got Evan and James this Blow Up Cars Ball Pit for them to play in...they loved it!!  I am sure Justin and Melinda will get us back one day for all these 'fun' gifts we buy the boys! 

Jana and Will drove down from Birmingham to spend New Year's Eve with us and it was so much fun!! Fairhope has a street party/band/dance thing new years even night so we went and ate pizza then did that! Once we made it back home we made a dessert...don't really know what all Jana put in this...but it was AH-MAZING! 

I love these people. a lot. 

This was the s'mores dessert jana made for us...

I can feel myself gaining weight just looking at it!!! 

 I always get sad when Christmas has come and gone...but already looking forward to it next year!!!

Visitors...YES PLEASE!!!

Daniel and I absolutely LOVE having friends/family come and visit us!!! Since we have moved to Fairhope in August we have had...Daniel's parents, the Flinkows, the Nelsons, my parents, my brother sis in law and PRECIOUS nephews, and the Gunnels! 

If you want to come to Fairhope for the weekend...we have a bed with your name on it! 

jana and will's visit to Fairhope...

Love this girl.

 Leslie and Hunter's visit to Fairhope...

The boys fished at the bay while Les and I laid by the water :) 

Daniel and I are so blessed to have these two as best friends!!! 

Hunter and Leslie were in town during the first Bama football game...so of course we had to have some 'tailgate' food'! 

Pretzel rolos, chocolate chip cookies, texas caviar dip, and fun fetti cake batter dip! 

Roll Tide!!! 

Then...one weekend my brother called me on a Friday and said they were heading to Fairhope that Saturday morning!! I was thrilled!! I miss these two boys like crazy! 

We made cookies, watched movies, fed the fish, and watched some Alabama Football!! 

Sara and Drew had a wedding in Fairhope so they stayed with us for the weekend!! So glad we got to spend time with the Gunnels! 

My mom, dad, brother, sis in law, and nephews all came in town for the Christmas Tree Lighting in downtown Fairhope! It was such a fun weekend!!

We absolutely adore these two boys!!! 

those.cheeks.

He was ready to feed the fish!!

He had a FUN weekend with his Aunt April and Uncle Daniel!!! 

Today...I am Thankful for many things...

but I am especially thankful that we are celebrating 4 years of marriage today!! Not just marriage in my eyes...but 4 years of wonderful, amazing, quality time with my best friend! 

I am so blessed and thankful to be married to a man like Daniel who is the leader and provider of our family. I look forward to many many more years and memories with him! 

Mark 10:6-9

"But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.'  'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,  and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one.  Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

Wedding Day Pictures...

Daniel seeing me for the first time               

 (one of my favorite pictures from the day) 

 Would not have wanted anyone else standing beside me on my wedding day! I love these 9 girls..

 Seeing my dad right before walking down the aisle...

heading to the reception

First dance

Girls dancing...

 Guys turn :) 

Everybody dancing! 

 Off to St. Lucia!! 

 It was such a happy day filled with love and joy... it was more than I could have ever imagined!!