Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from the Griffith family!

I hope you ya'll have had a wonderful holiday.... we certainly have! Alex and I went on a mini-vacation to New York City (pictures to come) last week, celebrated Christmas Eve in Memphis with his family, and celebrate Christmas Day in Kennett with my family. We are so so so blessed beyond belief and have had a phenomenal first Christmas together.

That being said, Alex unfortunately has to work on Monday, so he had to head back to Memphis today. I am staying in Kennett for a few more days to catch up on some much-needed family time!

Now, on to a fabulous 2011.... :)

---KPG

Christmas Gathering!

Well, I successfully put on my first large party last night! And I must say, I LOVED IT!!!!!!! We have had many small dinner parties and bbq's, but this was different. And better.

Alex and I decided several weeks ago to host our first annual "Christmas Gathering" at our house. We had 25-30 guests attend the party, and had oh-so-much fun! We have a small house and I desperately wish we had more seating for our guests, but the fact of the matter is that we don't, and we just deal with it the best we can! Hey, we're newlyweds here guys! :)

I worked all week on cleaning, decorating the house, baking, and cooking. It all paid off!

The menu:

Hot onion souffle

Bacon cheddar dip

Buffalo chicken dip

Fruit tray and yummy fruit dip

Cheeseball

Honeybaked ham

Carrot Cake with cream cheese icing

Chocolate Velvet cake with cream cheese butter pecan icing

Oreo Truffles

Peanut Butter Truffles

Strawberry Truffles

Holiday Margaritas

Peppermint Hot Chocolate

Overall, it was a great evening with great friends!

---KPG

12 Days of Christmas- Day 13

Day 13: Favorite Cookie Recipe

Well, I'm not really a cookie person. So I'm going to give my favorite recipe that contains cookies. TRUFFLES!!

I have used both Oreos and Nutter Butters for these, but my favorite are Oreos.

1. Crush up a full container of Oreos (not Double Stuf) in the zip lock baggie

2.Put the crumbs of cookies in your food procressor

3. Mix this with a softened block of cream cheese

4. Roll into small balls and place on cookie sheet

5. Put in freezer for a couple of hours

6. Melt almond bark coating of your choice--- my favorite is vanilla/white chocolate for Oreo truffles

7. Remove balls from freezer and stab with toothpick

8. Dip in melted chocolate and place on wax paper

Enjoy!

---KPG

12 Days of Christmas- Day Twelve

Day 12: Show us your decorations (indoor/outdoor)

This really doesn't look like many decorations, but it looks good in our small starter home! We also have another regular-sized Christmas tree, but I did not get a picture of that one. And we have a Santa cookie jar and a few Christmas platters in the kitchen that aren't shown in the pictures!

---KPG

12 Days of Christmas- Day Eleven

Day 11: New Year Resolutions

I have the reputation of not being very good at keeping New Year's Resolutions. I usually have good intentions, but it never works out. Last year, my New Year's Resolution was to work out and diet very regularly in order to look "perfect" for our June wedding. I stuck to it and was diehard about working out, and maintained a 1200 calorie a day diet. That being said, the wedding is history and so is my swimsuit figure. I now cook not-so-healthy food, have a full time job, have a husband who often has to work long hours, and a dog to tend to. This makes it not to easy to hang out at the gym for 2 hours a day like I could in Fayetteville.

Sooooooo, my New Year's Resolution, for the 2nd year in a row, will be to get back into the gym and back away from the table. It's not that I'm severely overweight or that most people can even tell I've gained more than 5 or 10 pounds. But, I know that I have gained a few pounds and know that I feel better when I'm in better shape, so I'm going to do my best to get back to that! Wish me luck, as I am very busy and not used to squeezing in a trip to the gym everyday!

---KPG

12 Days of Christmas- Day Ten

Day 10: Favorite Christmas Songs/Caroles

Another easy one! I actually have two favorites, though.

1. I'll Be Home for Christmas

2. Oh Holy Night

These are not up for debate. These will always be my favorites. I'm getting sad just typing this knowing that I'm going to miss Oh Holy Night at my church's Christmas Eve service this year. But, Alex and I are on the hunt for a good service to attend here!

---KPG

12 Days of Christmas- Day Nine

Day 9: Favorite Holiday recipe

Well, every Thanksgiving and Christmas my grandmother makes me jello. Not just any jello. Cherry jello with cherries, pineapple, and grapes in it and marshmallows in it. It is my favorite holiday recipe by a long shot.

But since I'm now an avid baker, my recipe box has expanded greatly! I'm really into making elaborate cakes lately (that don't turn out so elaborate, but taste good!). This holiday season I'm making a chocolate velvet cake with cream cheese butter pecan icing. I'll let ya know how it turns out! :)

---KPG

12 Days of Christmas- Day Eight

Day 8: Least favorite thing about the Holidays

This year, my least favorite thing about the holidays is that many of my family traditions are coming to a screeching halt. Being a newlywed this year means that Alex and I are not only beginning our own holiday traditions in our new home in Memphis, but also that we are sharing our time over the holidays between mine and Alex's families. Although I am upset about this now, I know that in a few years we will have many of our own traditions that I look forward to sharing with Alex and our future kiddos. :) I just take traditions pretty seriously and don't like alot of change around the holidays. Plus, I don't get to see my family all that often and have always looked forward to having a couple of weeks with them at the holidays.

---KPG

12 Days of Christmas- Day Seven

Day 7: Holiday Craft/DIY (If you don't make anything, what do you WISH you could make?)

Welllll..... this has changed over the past few years as I have gotten older. But, my grandmother and I used to make cotton christmas ornaments every year. It was our little tradition, and to this day they are still some of my favorite ornaments. My hometown is literally cotton country, and my family owns and farms lots of cotton so it really means alot to us. Last year I had a Christmas shower with my friends from home, and my grandmother (Mops) made me a ton of cotton ornaments for my own tree in Memphis. Love it!

We also used to make macaroni angel ornaments, but these are much more time consuming and just don't last from year to year so we trickled this traditional craft out a few years ago.

These days, I am not home with my mom and Mops nearly as much to make holiday crafts with them and I don't have kids of my own to make crafts with yet. So, my holiday crafts tend to revolve around food! I am a sucker for truffles and make them every year during the holidays. They usually don't turn out as pretty as I would like, but boy do they taste good! And let's be honest, that's all that really matters! :)

I will do my best to post a picture of my cotton ornaments sometime after I finish this blogger challenge. It's a little crazy at work right now-- holiday parties, christmas pageants, etc. :)

---KPG

12 Days of Christmas- Day Six

Day 6: Gift ideas (what do YOU want? We all have family/friends reading our blogs...so let them know!)

Wellllll...... if I have any long lost super rich family members that I don't know about reading this, I would LOVE to have a 2011 Infiniti GX in black. Is that too much to ask!? :)

But in all seriousness, I've had an extremely hard time coming up with a gift that I really really want this year. My mom has practically begged me to find some other things and I just can't! Usually I'm that kid with 100 things on my list! The only explanation I can come up with is that I am perfectly content with my life and am so happy to have what I already have! I have everything I need: the most amazing husband ever, great family and in-laws, great job, a nice house and car, and the best puppy you could possibly ask for!

I would, however, love for someone to surprise me with a box of Queen Anne milk chocolate covered cherries! (or the black Infiniti GX is still an option!)

---KPG

12 Days of Christmas- Day Five

Day 5: Favorite Holiday Movie/TV Show Special

Oh this is an easy one: CHRISTMAS VACATION!

"Hey! If any of you are looking for any last-minute gift ideas for me, I have one. I'd like Frank Shirley, my boss, right here tonight. I want him brought from his happy holiday slumber over there on Melody Lane with all the other rich people and I want him brought right here, with a big ribbon on his head, and I want to look him straight in the eye and I want to tell him what a cheap, lying, no-good, rotten, four-flushing, low-life, snake-licking, dirt-eating, inbred, overstuffed, ignorant, blood-sucking, dog-kissing, brainless, dickless, hopeless, heartless, fat-ass, bug-eyed, stiff-legged, spotty-lipped, worm-headed sack of monkey shit he is! Hallelujah! Holy shit! Where's the Tylenol?"

Love love love this movie so much! I watch it at least 5 or 6 times every holiday season, but I think last year I may have reached 12 times? Yeah, I love it that much.

I also love Home Alone 1 and 2 and will never outgrow them, but Christmas Vacation will forever be Number 1 in my heart!

---KPG

12 Days of Christmas- Day Four

Day 4: Tips/Tricks to a Budget Friendly holiday season

Well this is really my first year to have a big girl job and buy for both mine and Alex's family, and so far so good.

Alex has 3 other siblings who are all still in college, so for them we draw names. This helps a ton with both budget and sanity, because it is hard trying to figure out what the perfect gift for all of them is!

For my family, Alex, and his parents, I started early thinking of gift ideas for them. I bought as much as possible early when they were on sale. It really helps on our budget to spread out the spending on gifts over the course of several months rather then jumble it all in December! We are also going to New York the week before Christmas, so we are saving as much as possible for this fun trip!

Obviously I'm not a pro at budgeting for the holidays, but I'm doing my best! I can't wait to see others suggestions to become even better at this for years to come.

---KPG

12 Days of Christmas- Day Three

Day 3: Most meaningful gift/best gift you've received

Probably the most meaningful gift I've ever received was diamond earrings that belonged to my great grandmother. I received this gift a few Christmases ago and wear them every single day. I love family history and inherited items such as these earrings, so these were a perfect gift for me.

Last year, a bit before Christmas time, I was given a sapphire brooch that belonged to my great grandmother and several diamonds from a watch that belonged to my great aunt. I decided to have a ring made out of the stones, and I get SO many compliments on it. It really is a beautiful ring, but more than that, it has so much meaning and history behind it.

So, those are my two most meaningful gifts. I'm sure there's something that's slipped my mind that was a fabulous gift, and if I think of it I'll come back and add it to the list. Gifts with meaning are always sure to make me smile!

---KPG

12 Days of Christmas- Day Two

I'm going to be perfectly honest and say that I despise Black Friday. Call me crazy, call me a scrooge, whatever. I just don't get into it. Maybe someday when I have children who are wanting crazy expensive items for Christmas I will get into it, but not right now.

It's not the crowds that bother me. It's the traffic. I have a severe case of road rage, and I do not enjoy being bumper to bumper who couldn't drive correctly on a lazy Sunday, let alone on the busiest day of the year.

I honestly feel like people go a bit crazy on Black Friday. They lose all manners, will push anyone and everyone out of the way, drive like crazy, and basically have no sense for that one day. I saw on the news that women were literally camping out for a solid week leading up to black Friday. Who misses out on a week with their husbands, children, and family only to try and save a few bucks!? Makes no sense to me!

To sum my two cents up, my holiday shopping tips would simply be to get gift ideas early, have in mind what you are looking for before hitting the shops, and try to do most of your shopping on a weekday. Any weekday is MUCH better than on Saturdays, plus the store clerks are much more friendly and helpful due to less stress on those days! Also for your own sake and sanity, do not wait until the week of Christmas!

Happy December 3rd!

----KPG

12 days of Christmas- Day One

I got this blog challenge from Chelsea Jewell and thought it was super cute! I've never done anything like this and thought it would be fun, so here goes nothing!

Here's the schedule:

Day 1: Christmas/Holiday traditions
Day 2: Black Friday/General Shopping Tips & Tricks
Day 3: Most meaningful gift/best gift you've received
Day 4: Tips/Tricks to a Budget Friendly holiday season
Day 5: Favorite Holiday Movie/TV Show Special
Day 6: Gift ideas (what do YOU want? We all have family/friends reading our blogs...so let them know!)
Day 7: Holiday Craft/DIY (If you don't make anything, what do you WISH you could make?)
Day 8: Least favorite thing about the Holidays
Day 9: Favorite Holiday recipe
Day 10: Favorite Christmas Songs/Caroles
Day 11: New Year Resolutions
Day 12: Show us your decorations (indoor/outdoor)
Day 13: Favorite Cookie Recipe
Day 14: Oprah's Favorite Things: What item(s) would you want if you were in the audience?

Day One: Christmas/Holiday Traditions

Well, this is a tough one for me to write about. Any other year I would be fine, but this year everything is changing (and I'm a little sad about it) so I'm writing about my childhood traditions.

For the past 22 years, my family has had our Christmas dinner at my grandparents' house on Christmas Eve. Then we watch "Christmas in Kennett", which is a TV special filmed in my small town and shows different holiday parties, plays, families, etc. Christmas in Kennett is a big deal to me. At 11:00 PM, we all go to the Christmas Eve service at church. This service is my absolute favorite. It's a candlelit, intimate service and I always see people that I have not seen in a long time. This is what I love and miss about living in a small town.

The grandkids then go and spend the night at my grandparents' house. That's right, I have spent the night at their house for the past 22 Christmas Eve's, and Santa has found me down there every year!

On Christmas morning, our parents come back to my grandparents and we all open gifts, then have Christmas Breakfast.

That's our Christmas (up until this year), and I LOVE it!

It's also become a tradition for all of the girls in my family to pile into my Mops' (grandma) suburban and ride around to look at Christmas lights on Christmas night. Fun fun! Another perk of living in a small town: you know where everyone lives and who puts up christmas lights!

Like I said, this year things will be completely different. Alex and I have become our own family and wanting to start our own traditions, while also wanting to continue some traditions from my family and some from his family. It's never an easy task to combine two families, especially when they don't live in the same town, but we are doing our best and quite frankly, I think we are doing a fabulous job!

Happy December, ya'll!

--- KPG

Caramel Pecan Pie

Oh. My. Gosh.

I don't even particularly care for pecan pie, and I loved this.

I'm talking delish here, people.

If you are looking for a simple, yummy, pretty dessert to "wow" your family over Thanksgiving with, then this is for you. I found it at allrecipes.com, and decided to give it a test drive before Thanksgiving next week.

Ingredients:

1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

36 individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup milk

3/4 cup white sugar

3 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup pecan halves

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.) In a saucepan over low heat, combine caramels, butter and milk. Cook, stirring frequently, until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt. Gradually mix in the melted caramel mixture. Stir in pecans. Pour filling into unbaked pie crust.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown. Allow to cool until filling is firm.

See, it's that easy.

Now, I must warn you that I did not bake mine the entire time. It was ready in 35 minutes, so watch yours closely.

Happy Thanksgiving, ya'll!

---KPG

Holy Cow!

It's officially November. And I am already aching to put up the Christmas tree. Seriously. I would put it up right this very minute if the hubs would let me.

Where has the year gone? 2010 has been, without a doubt, one of the most rewarding years of my life. I graduated from college, got married, moved to a new state, bought our first house, got a puppy, and got my first big girl job. Exciting stuff, huh!? But, I have all the faith in the world that the future holds even better milestones and events for me to look forward to!

So, Alex and I are boring. I have absolutely no exciting news to report. Sad.

Alex and I babysat for two boys on Friday night. It was a blast! I hope to be babysitting alot more in the near future now that I am meeting several families through school.

On Saturday, Rachael and I shopped a bit while the boys watched football. Then we all watched the hogs game. The hogs won, but one of my favorite players, Greg Childs, got injured and is out for the rest of the season. Huge loss for the Razorbacks.

{Family photo in Fayetteville}

{My birthday dinner at The Reef in Midtown}

{At the Razorback game in Dallas Cowboy Stadium- Arlington, TX}

My parents are coming to stay with us this coming weekend. Thank goodness. I haven't seen them in over a month, and that is far too long! I also have two baby showers to attend this weekend. I find it absolutely crazy that we are old enough to be starting families! It doesn't seem possible!

Happy Monday, everyone!

---KPG

October=Chaos!

Is anyone else blown away by how fast this year is flying by? We are 11 days away from November, and 65 days until Christmas. Wow.

October has been a crazy busy month for the Griffith family. We started off the month by attending the Lady Antebellum/David Nail concert and spending the weekend at my parents' home. It also happened to be the weekend of the infamous Delta Fair, so Alex was fortunate enough to experience his first ever Demolition Derby. What. A. Treat!!!

The next weekend we went to Dallas for the Hogs vs. Texas A&M game. Fun!!! We got free clubhouse level seats, free hotel, and free food through a company that Alex does alot of business with, so we jumped on a plane and enjoyed a wonderful weekend! (And the Hogs won!)

My birthday was last Thursday. Let me start by saying it was one great birthday! When my alarm went off, Alex was sitting there with a gift for me to open. He got me a new pair of 7 jeans.... and got the right fit, size, and length all on his own!! He's awesome! Then I walked into my classroom and the other teachers surprised me with a carrot cake, a manicure, Diet Mountain Dew, and ordered in sushi for us to lunch. If you know me, then you know these are all of my favorite things! All of my students made me cards, drew me pictures, and some got me gifts. So so sweet! We went to dinner at Reef with Alex's parents, and they got me cupcakes from Muddy's and a couple of skirts. Such a great great day!

We stayed in Memphis this past weekend, but were still busy. We went to the ECS homecoming game on Friday night, and Alex saw alot of his old classmates and teachers. The hogs played on Saturday, but unfortunately got ripped off time and again by the darn referees. I am still too angry to discuss this game with anyone who is not a Hog fan. Don't bring it up.

This weekend we are heading to Fayetteville for the Arkansas Razorback vs. Ole Miss Black Bears game. Should be a fun time!

{Alex and I at the Demolition Derby}

I'm still loving my job and all of my students. They keep me smiling and I learn from them everyday. They are great!

---KPG

"Mrs. Griffin....."

So, I've started keeping a journal of the funny things my kids say. I have some of the funniest stories imaginable, and I'm only 2 months in!! I certainly don't want to forget them, so I just jot them down as they occur! A few of my faves:

• All, and I do mean all, of the kids refer to me as "Mrs. Griffin." I guess that's easier than Mrs. Griffith to them, so I just go with it and answer to that! It's hilarious though.
• "Mrs. Griffin, there's poop juice on the toilet." Can you imagine my face when I heard this? I, thank goodness, do not have a weak stomach because I had to go check out the scenery on this one. There was, in fact, "poop juice" on the toilet seat... he was not kidding!
• "But I want a whiskey drink with my lunch." Bahahaha! When I asked him where he heard that from, he informed me that his daddy drinks it out of his favorite cup. Oh kiddos!
• "Mrs. Griffin, I think you're pretty. Mrs. Griffin, I like your necklace. Mrs. Griffin, I like your hair." All from the same boy in about a 30 second time span. I thiiiiink he liked me that day!
• "But I only have a titty tat...." We were discussing animals in class. I said I have a dog, and this was a little one's response!
• "Mrs. Griffin, who's Alex?" "My husband. Why?" "Ohhhhh, so he's your daddy?" Haha I don't think he quite understood!
• "Mrs. Griffin, why is your hair red?" No comment needed!
• "My mommy never sees my bad notes from teachers because I hide them under the seat in the car." Haha! Someone's tricky!

How hilarious, huh?! See why I look forward to going to work everyday?!

P.S.- It's officially fall (Although it is not even close to feeling like it here). It's also 3 days away from Razorback game day. As in the biggest game of the season. And my first home game without wearing a twirling uniform. I think I'll survive!

Love ya'll!

---KPG

What a week!

What a week! I cannot believe it's already Thursday! I feel like my life is an absolute whirlwind right now!

On Monday, Alex and I went shopping for beds. And we found one: the same one we had chosen 3 months ago, but 40% off. Heck yes. Our new, king-size bed, will be delivered next Thursday and I couldn't be more excited!

On Tuesday, Alex and I had dinner at our next door neighbors' house. They have a 4 month old precious baby girl, and I had a blast playing with her! It was fun getting to know their family a little bit better, and nice to have a night off from cooking!

Last night I went on a cleaning excursion. I couldn't stand it any longer. I also cooked some delicious chicken alfredo for dinner (Alex's favorite). It was a great night at home for us.

School is going great. I am with Junior Kindergarten for the month, and I truly believe I have found my calling. That age is just awesome to me, and I wake up so excited to come to school each and every day! Not to mention hearing "Mrs. Griffith I think you're pretty" and "Mrs. Griffith I like your hair and your smile" and "Mrs. Griffith will you sit by me?" is a great way to put a smile on my face!

We are staying in Memphis this weekend, thank goodness. I love traveling, but I need a little break. I'm going to work on getting our wedding pictures framed, choosing fabric for our drapes, and watching the Hogs take on Georgia! Woot woot!

Also, Alex and I booked our trip to New York last night! We are going over Christmas and I cannot wait!! It's our first "adult" trip besides our honeymoon! YEY!!!

Hope ya'll have a good weekend! Woo Pig Sooie!

--KPG

These Are a Few of My (Current) Favorite Things....

Since fall is quickly approaching and I have just conquered what could possibly be the busiest summer of my entire life, I thought I would post some of my current favorite things! I say current because I am, afterall, a female (you know how we girls are!), and I find find something else to love about my life every single day!

These are really in no particular order.

1. My new family.

2. My husband.

He's absolutely amazing and means the world to me.

3. My puppy, Charlie.

This little guy brings me so much joy each and every day. He's a bundle of spunk and has the absolute best personality!

4. The Arkansas Razorbacks.

Someone at work had never heard of the hog call. I nearly fainted. My dog (see favorite thing number 3) is named Charles Mallett Griffith after our current quarterback. I love my Hogs!

5. Our house.

I tell Alex at least once everyday how much I love our house. It's perfect. So warm and cozy. Ya'll come visit!

Note: These are pictures from right before we moved in. It's much cozier and decorated now!

6. NCAA Football

I check espn.com at least 5 times a day, ya'll. It's pathetic! I also managed to watch 10 (yes, 10) football games over the course of the weekend.

7. Sushi

Guys, I just can't get enough. We have already had it twice this week and it's only Tuesday! I think we're in the double digits for the past month now. Alex is going to start banning sushi in our house.

8. Seafood in General

I used to hate seafood. Despise might actually be a better word for it. However, about 5 years ago a light clicked on and I have been a fanatic ever since! I typically order a seafood dish whenever we go out to eat, but here lately I have craved it even more! We've made seafood dishes at home, and I even ordered a shrimp dish at a Mexican restaurant! (I typically stay away from seafood at mexican places)

9. My yard

Let's get one thing straight: I was not blessed with a green thumb. For those of you who have seen my parents' yard, you know that breaks my mother's heart. I do not enjoy it and quite frankly find it oh so very frustrating. However, since I now have my own yard with no yard man, I have taken up weeding out my flower beds. They already look so much better, and I have literally only pulled up weeds and shaped up bushes. Perhaps in the spring I can get my mom down to Memphis and we can get to planting some pretty plants!

10. PDS and the Martin Institute

I love my job and all of my coworkers. I love waking up knowing that I get to go work at a place where I learn so much each and every day. This week I am working in JK, and let me just say that I LOVE it.

Speaking of the Martin Institute, we are hosting our first Martin Institute Conference on September 30-October 1. The theme is "Teaching for Tomorrow", and the conference will be held on the PDS campus. For more information, visit www.martininstitute.org.

11. My new vacuum cleaner

Hey, it's the little things in life, right!? Haha no seriously, my new vacuum is a miracle worker. Saying that Charlie is a shedder would be an understatement. But that little vacuum cleaner can pick up hair even when the house looks spotless! Amazing!

Well, Happy Tuesday everyone! And yay for a short week and more football on Saturday!

---KPG

5 days....

Just so you all know, it's 5 (yes 5) days until football season. Saying I was excited would be a bit of an understatement. Obviously, my heart belongs to the Razorbacks, but I do love watching every single NCAA game that is on TV. I get excited just thinking about it!

{Alex at Shelby Farms with the Hill Family}

{On our way to take Charlie & Hank to Shelby Farms!}

I can't remember if I previously mentioned it, but Charlie now weighs 35 pounds. He's 14 weeks old and is completely massive! But, he is amazing. He sits, stays, shakes, is potty trained, and sleeps all night on his pillow (outside of the kennel!). We are so proud!

{Dinner at Flight}

Our friend, Burg, came into town this past weekend and stayed with us. We had a very relaxing weekend and did pretty much nothing! I did make an awesome breakfast dish, Cream Cheese Blueberry Braid (courtesy of Kendall Jones!), that was a huge hit for the boys. I must say, I have become quite the Betty Crocker lately. Anyway, on Saturday night we had a company dinner at Flight. Can I just say that it was absolutely fantastic? I had halibut, sea bass with seafood mashed potatoes, and lobster bisque. Yeah, you really can't beat that menu!

Alex and I are still trying to decide on our holiday weekend plans. Lake, Kennett, or Fayetteville. I would love to be in all three places this weekend, but it's just not possible!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

--- KPG

Blessed!

After one week of school, I am absolutely giddy. Giddy. I have learned SO much from the faculty and staff, and know it's just going to keep getting better and better. I take notes everyday on my computer, and I love coming home and reading back through them later. I have literally just been blown away by this school. God has really granted me such a wonderful blessing with this opportunity!

One of the teachers showed me how to create wordles. Some of you may already be familiar with these, but I was not (I don't guess the Psychology department used these!) and I think they're just about the coolest things since sliced bread. I created my own wordle to get the hang of things.

{Pretty cool, huh}

In other news, I am officially in love with estate sales. Alex and I went to several in the Memphis area on Saturday and had an absolute blast. I got a chair and a lamp for very inexpensive, but also just enjoyed looking around. So much fun! (I need to post new pictures of the house; hopefully I will get to that soon!).

Alex is on a business trip this week, so it's just Charlie and I here. Boo. I get bored with not having someone to cook dinner for and no one to talk to! No, it's really not that bad and he will be home soon. Plus Charlie is keeping me entertained.

Well, everyone have a spendid rest of the week!

Oh, and if you're not counting down the days until Razorback Football, you should be. 12 days until game day. You're welcome.

---KPG

Back to School!

{The five Martin Institute residents of PDS}

I'm so excited about the start of this school year! I have already learned SO much through last week's Professional Development, so I already know the year is going to be jam packed with great experiences. The picture above was taken on the first day of Professional Development. These 4 people have already become great friends to me, and I am looking forward to getting to know each of them even better!

So, other than starting school today there isn't much going on at the Griffith house this week. And we are certainly not complaining about that! Alex and I both joined a gym, so we've been incorporating that into our daily routines (which is not easy both working, having Charlie, cooking dinner, mowing the yard, etc.). My arms currently feel like jell-o due to the Body Pump class I attended tonight. Taking a few weeks off from working out was NOT a good choice!

{Courtesy of KES Weddings}

I also have chosen all of my wedding portraits and ordered our wedding book. SO EXCITED!! I have purposefully left our walls somewhat bare in order to hang lots and lots of wedding pictures, and I cannot wait to get them in! The picture above is actually from my mom's book, but it's very similar to a page in ours!

Well, I hope everyone who is also starting school this week has a great first day, and I will be praying that we all have a wonderful year! I know it will be fabulous!!

---KPG

Cookie Dough Cheesecake

Yum.

I got this recipe from a Kraft cookbook, and I have gotten so much fantastic feedback from it that I thought I would share it.

Here's what ya need:

2 (8 oz.) boxes of Philadelphia cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

3/4 cup chocolate chip cookie dough, divided

1 graham cracker crust

• Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla with hand mixer.
• Add in eggs and beat just until mixed.
• Using 1/2 cup of cookie dough, drop in dough by teaspoonfuls into batter. Mix gently.
• Pour batter into crust.
• Drop remaining cookie dough onto top of batter by teaspoons.
• Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.
• Let cool
• Chill for at least 3 hours

See, it's really simple. And so good. And if your husband is like my husband, he will appreciate you adding a little bit more cookie dough to the batter!

Enjoy!

317 thank-you's later....

... I'm finally finished! 317: that's the final number (as of now). That's alot of gifts. That's alot of thank-you notes. That's alot of ink. That's alot of blessings Alex and I have received. I've said this before, but I really am blown away by the amount of love and support we have gotten through our family and friends. I'm not just talking about gifts, either. I love reading the cards we've gotten and hearing others' experiences in marriage. We have gotten several books from people who have written us personal notes saying how the book changed their life and marriage. I cannot wait to sit down and read those books for myself. I know alot of marriage is simply "living and learning" for ourselves, but it also helps tremendously to hear from others and what they've experienced.
Okay, that's my babble for the morning. So yeah, 317 thank you notes. 317. Needless to say, I have gone through numerous boxes and types of thank-you's. I started out with just some informal "Kristen" thank-you's that I used for my Christmas shower (all of the guests were girls from my hometown), but I didn't get a picture of those.

{I used these for all of the gifts we received before the wedding}

{These were used to thank our helpers: Photographers, bridesmaids, etc. I also ordered extra of these to keep for the future!}

{These were used for the gifts received at the wedding or anytime after. I love these!}

I must say that Alex did offer on several occasions to help me with the thank-you's. We have gotten several thank-you's in the mail recently that the grooms have written. However, if you know me at all, you know that I am OCD about things like this and really just need to do them myself. I don't mind writing them at all, but I do have to get them written ASAP or I will drive myself crazy. I also am a little too particular about centering everything on the envelope, etc. As much as I appreciate him offering to help me, it's better for both of us if I just do them!

{He's grown more. What hasn't grown more is my hair}

See that long red hair in the picture above? Yeah, it's gone. I decided to be a little too brave on Wednesday and cut about 6 inches off. That's alot for me. Alex hardly even noticed, and my mom insists that I'm still in the "long hair" category, but it's much much shorter than it has been in a very long time. I'm so protective of my hair. I always love going to get my hair cut, but have a panic attack as soon as it happens. I'm sure Chanda (my hair girl) thinks I'm crazy. Heck, I think I'm crazy! The good news is my hair tends to grow at a record pace, so hopefully most people will be like Alex and not even notice.

My panic attack on the phone with Alex consisted of: "I look stupid." "I can't go to Bonefish tonight looking like this" "My hair is going to be short for the first Razorback football game." "I'm going to ruin our Christmas card picture!"

Wow, Kristen. Can we say dramatic? The next morning I got up and showered, and as I was blow drying my hair I realized "I actually kinda like this length!" Ta Da! I have finally seen the light!

{Alex's haircut was much less dramatic, and looks fabulous!}

Okay, I have got to get to the grocery store now. Bednar and Burg (Alex's friends from college) are coming to stay with us for the weekend, and my mom is coming up on Saturday to go "work clothes" shopping with me. So I'm getting the house picked up and making a few things for them to snack on!

Happy Weekend, ya'll!

---KPG

Mrs. Griffith

Yesterday, someone brought to my attention the fact that in one week, I will officially be known as "Mrs. Griffith" to all of my students. That's a little weird for me. I'd much rather be called "Mrs. Kristen", but I don't think that is allowed. It's just something I'm going to have to get used to!

Charlie and I are in Kennett for the night, which I am uber excited about! I needed an oil change and a haircut, which I have not found places in Memphis for yet, and also need to finish choosing wedding pictures with Mom. Plus, I start school training/conferences next week and wanted one last visit before the craziness begins!

Charlie is officially growing like a week. He is 11 weeks old and weighs 24 pounds. Wow. I carry him around like a baby, but can only do that for about another week! If I'm this torn up about my puppy growing up, I can't imagine how I'll be with my kids in a few years!

{Alex and Charlie}

{Charlie and I}

Well that's all I know, folks! We had a nice weekend at the lake, but I unfortunately forgot my camera's memory card and did not get a single picture. Rats.

---KPG

Summer is Almost Gone

Well... we are wrapping up the end of Summer 2010 here at the Griffith house.  I start my orientations and workshops for PDS next Thursday, and we are going to the lake for probably the last time this weekend.  Sad, sad.  It's been a good summer (wedding, honeymoon, moving into our new house, getting a big girl job, making great new friends, etc.), but it had to end sometime, I guess! 

I'm so excited about starting my new job, but can't help but to be a little nervous.  It will definitely be a learning experience for both me and the students!  Everyone I'm going to be working with seems so nice and eager to help, though, so it should be awesome! 

Last week, I taught a twirling clinic in Kennett and had a wonderful time with the girls.  It was hot, it was humid, and it was tiring, but it was worth it!  I love teaching what little I know to others. 

Alex and I had a very busy, somewhat stressful day yesterday.  We were having some friends over for dinner last night, and luckily I had gotten up very early yesterday to start getting the side dishes and dessert ready.  I ran a few errands during the day and when I got home, I found Charlie not acting anything like his normal self and very sluggish.  I called Alex and he thought he seemed strange during his lunch break, so I got nervous.  I went outside to see if there was anything he might have gotten into (our yard situation still isn't the greatest... we have had no time for yard work this summer and there's no telling what is out there!), and found a 5 gallon bucket of rat poisoning that had been left by the previous owner of the house.  Awesome.  So, I rushed him to a vet (his first visit as our puppy!), and got him checked out.  Sure enough, it was the rat poisoning, as well as intestinal worms.  The vet also updated him on his puppy shots, so needless to say he is extremely drugged and out of it.  He's still very sick, and I can't even get upset with him when I have to clean up a mess in the house, because he just can't help it!  Sooooo..... I rushed home after the vet visit and finished dinner preparations in a hurry.  Dinner turned out fabulously (I'll post two new, delicious recipes soon), and we had a great time visiting with everyone.  I'm just so thankful Charlie Boy is okay! 

Happy Weekend, folks! 

---KPG

The Griffith's are Busy!

After a somewhat restful week (excluding trying to keep up with a teething, playful puppy!), Alex and I are heading to Kennett today for the weekend. So, so, so excited.

There are several reasons for our visit.

• I just really miss the family. I can't help it! I'm much closer to them now than I was in Fayetteville, so I just think I should get to see them more now too!


• Mom, Dad, and Tyson need to meet Charlie.


• Alayna and Cody are getting married tomorrow! I wouldn't miss their special day for anything!

I've been busy this morning catching up on laundry (we finally got our possessed washer fixed), cleaning up a bit (Charlie is a shedder, a chewer, a pooper, and basically just a mess!), and packing. I pack for Alex and I both. It's not that he can't pack himself, he just tends to always forget at least one important item, and has a tendency to pack all one color. It's like he goes to the closet and thinks "I'll wear blue this weekend!" Ha! I thought he would drive me crazy with his habits (ya know- messy, unorganized, etc.), but he really just makes me laugh! We are still working on getting our routine set and making a few rules (take dirty clothes to the laundry room, don't leave your shoes by the couch just because that's where you took them off, hang up the towel, etc.), but he's really done a great job of dealing with my OCD self. We have completely different styles of daily routines, but it's going great! He's too sweet!

{The Fam}

Next week, Alex has to go to Jackson, MS for work. I haven't been down there with him yet, but one of these days I will make the trip! He scheduled his trip for this week because I already had plans to be out of town for the week. Carpet Tech has opened up a branch in Jackson, so he has to go about once a month or so to check up on things. The life of a businessman.

Charlie and I get to stay in Kennett next week too! I am giving a twirling camp to 17 girls all next week, so I will have my hands full. I absolutely love teaching twirling, whether it be private lessons or a group of girls like this. It's kind of a dying talent/activity, so I love passing it on to other girls. Plus, it helps me be able to contribute to our recently combined bank account since I don't start my job until August!

{Me with the 2008-2009 U of A Twirlers}

Everyone have a fabulous weekend and try to stay cool!

---KPG