Perfect End...

EXCUSE ME WORLD!!! IT'S SNOWING!!! I'm not quite sure why no one is here to play in the snow with me...hmmm...maybe you should come on down!!!






What a perfect end to date night!!

Date Night

In order to interrupt the habits of studying...I declared tonight date night! Matt took me to Chili's for dinner....YUMMY!!! And then we went to Target to buy groceries. However, included on the grocery list was Christmas lights!! We got awesome lights and Matthew and I put up lights for the whole neighborhood to see. I think that everyone is going to drive slowly by our house because it is definitely a sight to see!!! ENJOY!

Thanksgiving Preparations

Tonight I began cooking for Matt and my feast tomorrow!! I Boiled, mashed and mixed the potatoes...blended the oreo pie to fill the oreo pie shell...and did the grossest thing in the world and unwrapped a turkey and put spices on it.

Matt told me tonight that if we ever got a whole turkey that I would have to reach inside and clean it out...to which I replied, "No, we'll get one of our moms to do it!" Can't wait for tomorrow. I LOVE COOKING!!



















More yummy pictures tomorrow!!

Getting Ready for the Holidays

I had a lot of fun today...my dear husband informed me he was hungry, so I had the privilege of going grocery shopping. Note to self: don't go shopping at Wal-Mart anywhere close to Thanksgiving. I went during the middle of the day thinking that no one would be there....HA! Yeah, right! EVERYONE was there. The following picture portrays how I felt when I left:




Other things that I accomplished today:
1. Dinner--Grilled Chicken, Salad, and roasted red potatoes
2. Christmas cards
3. Christmas Gifts (making them that is)
4. Wrapping Christmas presents
5. Thanksgiving menu complete...you should be jealous!!
6. Lots of phone calls to and from my family :o)

Christmas time at the Presley's

So last Saturday during the UT game, I decided that it was time to start decorating. I had waited as long as I could and couldn't stand it anymore. Here are a few pictures of our house! The quality isn't the best because I took the pictures with my iphone, but it will do the trick!! ENJOY!





We finally got our gas fireplace turned on! It is sooooo wonderful!




Snowmen last much longer than Santa Claus's. I did break down and get one Santa! I've been good this year...I promise!!



He's one of my favorite!!



This is our beautiful table!! We are so blessed to has such nice things!



I saved the best picture for last! This is our most beautiful tree! It is covered in penguin ornaments...too bad you can't see them in the picture. Guess you'll have to come see them yourself!!

Happy Holidays,

Matt and Jo

Happy Birthday To ME

This is the most awesome tree ever! Rebecca and Jeff got this for me last year on my birthday, so I definitely had to put it up this year on my birthday! Perhaps this will become a tradition!!

Matt was very gracious in letting me put up a pink feather tree in our bedroom. Isn't he charming?!? Hooray for Christmas...and trees!!

Soooo...Matt was awesome today! I woke up and he was so excited to show me that he had recorded an episode of The Today Show because there was a lady on there making cakes. He knows how much I love baking! Here is one of the recipes that the lady made. It looks soooo yummy!!

Pumpkin chocolate-chip pound cake
From "Cake Keeper Cakes" by Lauren Chattman

Makes 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 1 3⁄4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves
• pinch nutmeg
• 1⁄2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1⁄4 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup canned pumpkin purée
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1⁄3 cup milk
• 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat the inside of a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and dust it with flour.

2. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, cloves and nutmeg in a medium mixing bowl.

3. Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice as necessary.

4. With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Stir in the pumpkin purée and vanilla. Stir in the milk.

5.Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture, 1⁄2 cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts.

6. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake the cake until it is firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 55 minutes to 1 hour. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes, invert it onto a wire rack, and then turn it right side up on a rack to cool completely.
TIPS

Store uneaten cake in a cake keeper at room temperature for up to three days or in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic, for up to one week.

Just for my Sissy...

My sister has been bugging me about starting a blog....so here it is Bec!

Matthew and I are really enjoying the weather lately. It has been really nice outside! We have friends coming down this weekend to celebrate the UT vs. Alabama game. We are very excited to see everyone. As soon as I get a card reader, I'll start posting fun pictures of all of us!!