Blessed

"Fear though not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." -Isaiah 41:10

Last Thursday, my sister was on her way to stay with me for a couple of days. We were going to lay out by the pool and just relax. I was sitting in my bathing suit talking to Kelly on the phone when my mom beeped in. She was calling to tell me that my papaw was being admitted to the hospital through the emergency room. I panicked. I would like to think that in an emergency situation I would be able to compose myself and do whatever needs to be done at that point in time. I am just not that person. I knew I needed to get over to the hospital quickly, but I couldn't process how. Tyler told me to get out of my bathing suit and into some regular clothes, and then he drove me to the hospital. I called my mamaw on our way over, and I could tell in her voice she was very upset and nervous. I didn't know what to expect when I got over to the hospital. I took the elevator up to the third floor and cautiously walked into my papaw's room only to find him standing up and walking. What a relief! They ended up sending him straight up to his room as opposed to making him check in through the ER which surely would have been a long, drawn out process. His room was gigantic and very nice! My mamaw was sitting in a chair in the room with him, and her little hands were furiously shaking. You could tell that it was a big surprise to both of them that he had to be admitted that day. 

They had initially gone over to get images taken of his heart after he had a not so great stress test performed. His regular heart doctor of over twenty years was out of the country, so papaw was being cared for by one of his colleagues. At the time, this really stressed us out. The new doctor was wanting to do a heart catheterization on my papaw - a procedure his regular doctor had been trying to avoid for ten years. We were all very nervous and worried. The family spent the day together laughing and talking at the hospital. Papaw felt fine, and we were just trying to keep everyone's spirits up. That night around nine, Kelly and I told papaw goodnight and left to go home. As soon as we walked out of his room, we both burst into tears. I had been fighting it all day, and I know poor little Kelly had been too. We were very nervous, worried, scared, sad, upset, anxious.. you name it, we were feeling it! 

The next morning we headed over to the hospital bright and early to see him before the heart catheterization. The doctor had a talk with us and explained the heart cath was an absolute must. He had seen a blockage on the images that he didn't like. He said we would discuss further options after he does the heart cath. That tells me he was expecting to have to put in a stent or do another procedure. Before papaw was taken back to be prepped, we all gathered around him, held hands, and prayed. My uncle Freddie led the prayer, and tears filled my eyes as he was praying. I felt God there with us. 

They took papaw back, and the long wait began. After several hours, they called us back to speak with the doctor. He wasn't saying anything, so my mamaw asked, "IS HE OKAY?!" The doctor said the procedure went fine........ (I was expecting a big BUT here). The blockage was minimal and much less serious than what he had thought. That's God, y'all! We know the blockage had to have been bad because: 1) They wouldn't let him leave the hospital the day before. They told him it was possible that if he went home for the night he could have a heart attack and die. 2) They obviously saw something they thought was very bad for them to have done the heart catheterization. I explained to his new doctor that his regular doctor wanted to avoid the heart cath at all costs. The doctor said he understood that but this was an absolute must. He wouldn't have done that if he thought it was something minor. 3) He was preparing us for another procedure. He kept saying after the heart cath I will come out and discuss the options. He was planning on putting in a stent. 

We all prayed so hard. I do believe that God touched my papaw that day. A quote from one of my favorite movies, The Notebook, says it best: "Science only goes so far, and then comes God." Studying in the science and medical field, educators teach you that there is a reason for everything. One thing causes another. This treats that. As a pharmacist, I take that knowledge and apply it as best as I can. As a Christian, I know there is more to it than just what they teach us in school. I also apply that knowledge daily! 

We are all so fortunate that our sweet papaw is going to be okay! My mom hosted a dinner for the family last night to celebrate papaw's health and to spend some time together. She had steaks, mashed potatoes, million dollar spaghetti, french bread, cornbread salad, two desserts, and some crab legs especially for papaw. They're his favorite! It was so great getting to spend time with everyone! We love our papaw so very much, and now I know to cherish any time we get to spend with each other. Thank you Jesus for taking care of my sweet pap and keeping him here with us. Papaw told me he prayed to God to just be with him throughout this and that His will be done. I told pap that I prayed for him to be healed and to get to stay here with me LOL That made him laugh! Papaw was my first baby sitter, my Bible story teller, my advice giver, and my comforter. He has always been there for me throughout my entire life. God blessed me by making him my grandfather! I love you Pap! 

A Walk Down Memory Lane

We are so happy to be spending time with our Pap at mom's cookout! We matched perfectly and didn't even plan it!

Summer Lovin'

Hey y'all! I wanted to do a quick blog post since I have some free time before I go to work today. As most of you know, I passed my boards and have been training over the last week and a half with my employer. My training period is almost over, and I will actually be working on my own for the first time this weekend. To say I am nervous would be the understatement of the century, but I know the best way to learn is to jump right in and do it! I am absolutely loving going to work everyday.. I know what you're thinking since I've only been at it for about two weeks, BUT working will beat sitting at home studying all day every. single. time. 

Unfortunately, Tyler is still stuck at home studying for the bar exam, which he will take soon. Prayers would be appreciated! I still say it was by the grace of God that I got through my exams. I was prepared, but I have pretty bad test anxiety. I studied the entire prep book, but the morning of the exam was a disaster! I got myself so worked up. When I sat down to take the test, I said a prayer and asked God to just be with me and help me to calm down so I can read and understand the questions being asked. I know it was because of Him that I got through that! 

Since I've been working, Ty and I are trying to adjust to our new schedules. Sometimes I work morning shift, which I prefer, but then there are evenings I don't get home until almost 10:00 at night. That means we are trying to plan meals out for the week, so expect some upcoming blogs to be on things we have tried out for lunches and dinners! Last night I made a Pinterest favorite, Million Dollar Spaghetti, and Ty and I FINALLY cut into our year old wedding cake. My mom did a fabulous job of sealing it up and freezing it because once it thawed, it looked exactly as it did on our wedding day. Unfortunately, neither of us actually ate our wedding cake on our wedding day because we were so busy running around, so last night was the first time either of us had sampled it. The cake was strawberry with strawberry preserves glazing the cake and a rich buttercream frosting. My mom kept the cake at her house in the freezer for us, and I hadn't had a chance to go home and get it which is why we are eating the cake almost a month after our one year anniversary LOL 

Last weekend was my first weekend off of work since I started, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Saturday Kelly met Ty and me and Berry Hills for lunch, and then we had a sister movie date and watched The Secret Life of Pets. It was so cute! We laughed through the whole thing! On Sunday, I went home to lay out by the pool and visit with my family. It felt like it was the first hot sunny day that we've had in awhile, and I soaked up every minute of it! Mom made my favorite dinner: pinto beans, fried potatoes, and kraut and kielbasa. She even made brownies for dessert! We ate (twice) and floated in the pool. My mamaw, papaw, gran, and Bub stopped by to visit, and Taylor came up and brought Bo! We LOVED visiting with them! I'm telling y'all that baby has us wrapped! We love him so much!

Just look at that grin!

His uncle Jim sure does love him!

I hope y'all have a great rest of the week! I promise to blog more now that I don't have to dedicate all of my time to studying. The problem now is that I am working a lot and not doing any fun things to blog about LOL but I will try to start posting more frequently! Until next time.. take care y'all!

Let Freedom Ring!

Hey y'all! Since this weekend was the Fourth of July, I celebrated my freedom as an American AND as a licensed pharmacist! I AM FINISHED STUDYING Y'ALL! In other words, I am free at last LOL After a month and a half of what seemed like non-stop studying, I finally passed both of my board exams and am ready to begin working. I am thrilled! I had so much anxiety and worry because of these tests, so I prayed constantly. I had all of my friends and family praying as well, and I can say that God saw me through it! Now I am able to do what I feel I was called to do: help others. 

Now I know I haven't blogged in awhile, but y'all know I always try to have a good story for you. Imagine this: It is the morning of the NAPLEX, and I am wide awake looking over my notes at 5:00AM. The test begins at 8:00AM at the BBT Building downtown. I wanted to wake up and get ready early, so I could get to the testing center and look over my notes before the exam. That didn't happen. 

I left my house around 7:15 that morning to head to the BBT Building. I started driving, and the next thing I knew, I was driving by the BBT bank by my house. I was so absent minded! I had driven to the bank instead of the downtown offices. I immediately started to panic because I didn't know how to get downtown from where I was. Fortunately, one of my friends was taking the NAPLEX the same time that I was,and she was already downtown waiting for me in the parking garage. I called her and had her text me the address to the testing center. After arriving, I had to conquer the next challenge: parking. 

I circled the same parking building no less than five times trying to figure out how to get inside to park. It was like my brain was mush! My friend was watching me over the wall of the parking garage and was trying to tell me when to turn into the garage. Finally I made it inside and parked my car. By the time I arrived, I had no extra time to look over my notes. At this point, I was just focused on getting to the test on time. My friend and I walked to the BBT Building and made our way to the testing room. When we walked inside and took our seats, we saw a few familiar faces. It felt good seeing other people from my class. It was kind of like we were all in this together! 

I take my seat in front of the computer and said a prayer. I prayed for God to keep me calm and to help me get through this. I knew I had studied all that I possibly could. I just had to get my mind right before the test so that I could focus on the task ahead of me. I started to go through the questions when suddenly I started sweating profusely. I had sweat on my face and dripping down my stomach. I kept stopping to fan myself in between questions. I don't even remember most of my time taking the NAPLEX. I told my mom it was like an out of body experience LOL

I submitted my answer for the last question and looked up at the timer on the computer. I still had an hour of time left. Wait, WHAT?! I panicked! How did I finish so early? Why is nobody else finished? The way the test is set up, you cannot go back to check over your answers. Once you submit an answer, it is final. I got up from my seat and headed outside. I wondered around downtown for about 30 minutes trying to remember where I parked my car. THE STRUGGLE WAS REAL THAT DAY!

Fortunately, I ran into someone I knew on the street, and they pointed me in the right direction.  I'm sure they thought I was a crazy person because I frantically proclaimed, "I just took my board exam and I don't know where I am!" LOL Don't forget I was a sweaty mess during this encounter. Once I found the garage I had parked in, I rode the elevator up to every floor and walked around searching for where I parked. I finally got into my car and immediately called my mom. She seemed encouraged that I finished early because she felt like that meant I knew the answers. I, on the other hand, felt the opposite way. I knew that if I didn't know an answer I made an educated guess and moved on. In my mind, I must have finished early because I made a lot of quick educated guesses LOL

I took the MPJE (pharmacy law exam) four days after taking the NAPLEX. I had to study for that exam without knowing if I had passed the NAPLEX or not. The MPJE was a lot like the NAPLEX. I went in at 7:40AM (thanks to Tyler for dropping me off this time to avoid the same fiasco I experienced with the NAPLEX) and called Ty at 9:05AM to come get me. That exam was supposed to be two and a half hours long, so I just knew I had failed that one. I felt even less confident about the law exam than I did the NAPLEX. 

My pharmacy blues dissipated that day around 10:30AM when I find out I had passed the NAPLEX! Such a huge weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. I was so relieved that all of the hard work and time I had put into studying paid off. Three days later I found out that I had also passed the law exam. I was in complete shock! I just received my license in the mail and will start my training any day now! Praise the Lord! 

Although I averaged studying around 10 hours a day, I did take some days off. We had a cookout for my grandmother's birthday and had a blast! The whole family got together, and I got to visit with my sweet boy Bo. I always love spending time with family!

Grandmother getting some lovins! 

My pawpaw Fred also had a birthday in June. We went to the Capitol and out to eat at Hibachi. They came to Charleston for me so that I could celebrate with them. We had such a good day together!

After my boards were over, I had a few days off to recuperate. I finally got back to my normal routine of cooking and keeping my house clean. Tyler is very happy that I am back to my old self. LOL I've had some people ask me for recipes of some of the things I have made lately, so I thought I would show pictures of some of our new favorite meals! 

 Southern Living is where I get some of my recipes, but I put my own spin on them most of the time to use ingredients that Ty and I both like.

These are Italian Nachos that I made the other day. I tried to replicate one of our favorite appetizers from a restaurant in Lexington called Johnny Carino's. They turned out great! Also, another thing I try to do is either make enough for leftovers or plan meals to use similar ingredients. When cooking for two, fresh food tends to go bad quickly. I have to really plan meals in order to use up any perishable ingredients. The hot sausage and jalapeños I used in this recipe were also used for a breakfast and dinner I cooked up a couple of days later. 

Italian Nachos

-I used won tons for the chips. You can find them in the refrigerated section at the store. I just fried them in a skillet until they turned golden brown. They fry very quickly, so keep your eye on them!

-I bought a rotisserie chicken and just shredded the meat and added it on top of the chips

-Cook the spicy sausage and crumble. Add it on top of the chips. (I used Jimmy Dean hot sausage)

-Add your favorite toppings: we used black olives and chopped jalapeños 

-Top it off with shredded mozzarella cheese

-Bake at 350 degrees until the cheese melts

-Heat up Alfredo sauce (we use Prego) and pour the warm sauce on top. Enjoy!

This is a spin on my regular French toast recipe. Another blogger that I follow recommended to use Pepperidge Farm swirl bread for added cinnamon flavor! 

Cinnamon French Toast

-Use Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Swirl bread as the toast 

-Make a mixture of egg, a hint of vanilla, a dash of cinnamon, and milk (I used vanilla almond milk)

-Coat the cinnamon swirl bread into the egg and milk mixture 

-Cook in a pan until browned

-Add your favorite toppings. We used powdered sugar and syrup

I had some leftover spicy sausage from the nachos I had made, so I decided to whip up a quick brunch!

Sausage Gravy and Hash Browns

-Pat out sausage patties and cook until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F

-From the grease leftover after cooking the sausage, add three tablespoons of flour 

-Once the flour starts to brown, pour in milk until the mixture becomes a smooth consistency 

-Salt and Pepper the gravy to taste and pour over biscuits or sausage patties 

-In a separate skillet, pour three teaspoons of canola or vegetable oil and heat

-Add frozen hash browns and cook until golden brown

-I season the hash browns with a little salt, pepper, garlic powder, and minced onions 

I have to tell y'all that this has become one of our new favorite meals. It is perfect for lunch or even a quick dinner. It takes little effort and can be eaten numerous ways! 

Salsa Verde Chicken

-Add frozen chicken to the crockpot and pour salsa verde on top (it is in the Mexican section and is green - we buy the Kroger brand and it is delicious!)

-Cook on low for 3 hours or until chicken is completely done 

-Shred the chicken and enjoy!

I have eaten this chicken on lettuce wraps with a little Mexican cheese for lunch, and Tyler likes to spoon the chicken/salsa mixture into a bowl, add cheese and sour cream on top, and eat it like a soup. In the picture below, we put the salsa verde chicken into a pita pocket and added sour cream and Mexican cheese. I also made some mushroom rice as a side since this was our dinner. 

Let me know by commenting below if any of you try out these recipes. I am always looking for new ideas or ways to improve our meals! 

Tyler and I had a pretty eventful holiday weekend celebrating with our friends. On the 3rd, we ventured downtown to watch Landau perform at the levee and to watch the fireworks. We were very impressed with the show in downtown Charleston! We met up with a couple that we recently met and hung out downtown with them, then they came up to our house afterward to talk and visit. We loved getting to spend time with them! 

We made our way up to Tyler's office to watch the fireworks. We had a front row seat to the show!

The weather this weekend just didn't cooperate! It drizzled all day on the third, but fortunately it cleared up in time for the concert and fireworks. On the fourth, however, it stormed off and on all day, and some areas near us were hit by a tornado! To my knowledge nobody was hurt, so that is good. It is just sad that this area is experiencing such devastation with the flood and now tornadoes. It just breaks my heart! 

On the fourth, we invited over another couple we recently met to have dinner with us. We had such a great time! I spent most of the day in the kitchen preparing the meal, which I absolutely loved doing! I finally was able to put all of my pretty white dishes to good use! 

I wore my Lilly Pulitzer t shirt in the Sparks Fly print, but you can't really see it in this picture. 

Scruffy wants to know when dinner will be ready.. LOL

Getting out everything I'll need to cook with..

Fresh strawberries and blueberries for a patriotic dessert!

Setting out the dishes.. I thought it would be cute to put the forks and spoons in mason jars since I don't have a utensil caddy.  

All set up and ready to go!

Patriotic Parfait 

-Mix 6 graham crackers, a hint of cinnamon, and 3 teaspoons of melted butter in a food processor until finely chopped

-Make instant cheesecake flavored pudding according to the package directions

-Layer the graham crackers, blueberries, pudding, strawberries, more pudding, and then top it off with the remaining graham cracker

-I thought it would be cute to put a strawberry on the side of the glasses as a garnish!

Baked beans and corn salad. 

Jalapeño Corn Salad

-Drain a can of fire roasted corn and heated it in the microwave for 3 minutes

-Add in 2oz of cream cheese, 1/4 cup of sour cream, some chopped jalapeños (I used the ones leftover from when I made the Italian nachos), and some shredded cheddar cheese

-Mix it all together, and the cheeses will melt in the hot corn

-Let the corn salad cool in the refrigerator, top with bacon, and serve cold

BLT Pasta Salad

-Cook noodles, drain, and allow to cool completely 

-Add in romaine lettuce, crumbled bacon, and cheddar cheese 

-Mix 1/2 cup of ranch dressing with 1 teaspoon of BBQ sauce

-Pour sauce mixture over the salad and serve immediately 

Lesley brought these beautiful flowers when they came over to eat. I was telling Tyler before they got here that I wished I would've gotten fresh flowers for the dinner table. They were the perfect touch! 

I hope y'all enjoyed reading this blog as much as I enjoyed putting it together! It has been so long since I have had time to blog (or do anything really), so expect more frequent posts now that I no longer have to study. I hope everyone had a happy and safe Fourth of July celebrating this great country we call home! Until next time.. Take care y'all!