Dinner with the McLeods

To those who doubted my ability to prepare an edible meal. Proof that we don't eat out every night:

Meal #1: When we came back from our honeymoon, our coffee pot was setup and ready to brew. And this lovely meal was in our refrigerator ready to be warmed. Burgundy Tri-tip, cheesey potatoes, green beans and carrots. Yum. Thanks, Mom.
Meal #2: Our second 'homecooked' meal together was more like a second combining of the families. I heated up leftover potatoes from my mom; Jeremiah heated up leftover beans from his mom. And we cooked a chicken and sliced some berries to go with it. Still not cooked on our own, but very delicious.

Meal #3: Homemade pizza, Ceaser salad and chocolate covered strawberries. Fresh flowers, too. And this one I finally made on my own.
Meal #4: Homemade spaghetti meat sauce with pasta and garlic bread.
Meal #5: Chicken flourintine (okay, fine... I bought it at the grocery store) with yams, berries and fresh french bread (with olive oil, balsamic and fresh pepper). Delicious.
Meal #6: Black bean shrimp tacos. Yum!
Meal #7: Chicken and cheese enchiladas with beans and rice. I must admit, I'm most proud of this one. Beans, rice, chicken, cheese, olives, chiles and green enchilada sauce... topped with sour cream and salsa. And without a recipe... =]]I have also baked some cookies and made peanut butter popcorn balls. Delicious!

One Monthiversary

Things I've learned about myself in our first month of marriage:
1. I'm a neat freak
2. Sometimes I enjoy cooking
3. I go to bed very early
4. I am not as heavy of a sleeper as I once thought
5. I am easily irritable
6. Friends and alone time are priceless to me
7. Bills aren't as scary as I thought
8. I am well suited for marriage
9. I'm a big sucker for love, like biiig sucker
10. I love marriage 10x more than I ever imagined.

And because every post is better with a picture, cheers to the best day of my life:

okay, I'm in. finally.

I've always wanted to be a blogger. Correction: I've always wanted to be one of those well-read bloggers - the kind people check everyday with eager anticipation. I have a secret wish that someone would read my blog and be encouraged. That someone would read my thoughts and feel joy. But for the past couple years I've just been what I've affectionately termed 'an inspiration seeker.' Okay, so my husband calls it a 'blog-stalker,' but really tomatoes, tomotoes. Every day at work (sh!) I drink my morning tea while I peruse tens of blogs. Do I really know any of the people? Well, to be honest, not really. But do I read them and feel encouraged? Do I read them and glow with inspiration? I do. So I continue to read. And hopefully, they'll continue to write.

Blogs are an interesting breed. What are they for? Updating folks you don't see very often? Posting pictures? Sharing honest thoughts? Yes. In a day&age so filled with mobile connectivity, I'm hestitant to dive in too deep, to become obsessed with this constant need for updates and awareness. But until it can prove me wrong, I've benefited far too much from my 'blog-stalking' to dismiss it right away.

So here's to beautiful pictures, honest words, and silly stories.