She Could Be a Farmer in Those Clothes!

I was excited to walk out to the garden tonight to find all of this waiting for me! Can a squash be too big? Who knows. I guess I'll find out.

The tomatoes are the result of our upside down tomato plants!

Gardening success!!

The Great Debate

On my sister's recommendation I watched the episode of 30 Days that she referenced a few days ago and when it was over, I had tears streaming down my face and could hardly talk. Also, go here to check out the Peta video she references. It is enlightening to say the least - and a tad graphic, so if you have a weak stomach, steer clear.

To eat meat or not to eat meat? That is the question.

I know that most meats are probably not the most healthful choice. There are so many chemicals, hormones, and other additives put in the meat we consume today it's scary. For my health, I know I should eat less meat or even no meat at all.

My biggest problem comes with the inhumane, cruel, and downright disgusting conditions that so many animals that we eat everyday are raised in. I don't believe that any part of God's creation should be treated with cruelty and after watching 30 Days and other videos that depict the treatment of animals that are raised for food I just don't know if I can eat meat anymore. I wept for the calf that died because it was taken from its mother at birth and died because it was malnourished and for the dog that was killed just because the shelter ran out of room and for the thousands of other animals that never get to see the sun or roam freely because they are trapped in a cage too small for them to even turn around in. It's sad and it's unfair.

As I was telling Jeremy about all of this last night he asked, "What about wearing leather and eating eggs and cheese?" (I LOOOOVE cheese.) And I was honest and I told him I didn't know what to do. I feel so torn on this issue because on one hand I truly believe animals are here for us to enjoy and yes, to eat, but on the other I can't see how God would stand for the way we, as humans, are treating these animals. And for me to pretend it's not happening and just continue to eat them anyway...well, that's the decision I'm trying to make here.

I read this on bible.com last night and I thought it gave an interesting, Biblical perspective on vegetarianism. It's absolutely a personal choice whether or not to eat meat or dairy and it's not one I am taking lightly. I don't believe eating meat is a sin or anything like that, I just don't know if I can eat it anymore knowing what I know now.

The debate is still going on in my head and my heart, but as far as today goes, I haven't had any meat.

Why I Love Jeremy...

He's at the grocery store right now and just called to ask what kind of yogurt I wanted because he noticed I was out. It's all about the little things!

Just a Suggestion...

So, if anyone needs an idea for a wedding gift for J and me...

Hahaha!

I Have an Obsessive Personality

Is anyone out there completely obsessed with Jon & Kate Plus 8 on TLC? I am absolutely, 100% obsessed with this show. I love it! My Tivo is set to record it, I've seen all the episodes multiple times, and I get upset (seriously) if I miss an episode. I don't remember being this upset about missing a show since my dad set the VCR incorrectly for The X-Files on time when I was in high school (yes, I'm a geek.)

I really don't know why I like it so much. I love kids and I guess it just fascinates me to see how they deal each day with having EIGHT children. I can't even begin to imagine having one, let alone eight. Jeremy thinks I'm insane for watching, but I think he likes it some, too. He doesn't always leave the room when it's on.

I laugh out loud at this show every week. The interactions between Jon and Kate are priceless. Yes, she's a complete control freak, but at least she admits to it. I love the balance of her controlling personality and Jon's oh-so-laidback one. It's great.

I think part of the reason I love it so much is that it totally shows how imperfect this family is. They love each other fiercely, but they fight, they argue, they lose their temper, but at the end of the day they are a family and that's what matters. Sometimes "reality" tv glosses over imperfection; I like that this show is more real and honest in its portrayal.

The last episode featured Kate making "Monkey Munch" with the girls, so I hit the internet today to find the recipe. Here is what I found on their website.

Monkey Munch

9 cups Chex cereal (any variety)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (Don't forget the powdered sugar!!! :)

Mix together chocolate chips, peanut butter, margarine, and vanilla. Microwave until smooth in a microwave safe bowl. Mix melted ingredients in with Chex cereal. Put Chex mixture into a large Ziploc bag and toss with powdered sugar.

YUM! I can't wait to try this one out!

Is anyone out there as obsessed with this show as I am? Anyone?

Livin' off the Land

Jeremy and I had leftover fried bass from our camping trip last night along with fried squash from our garden and homegrown tomatoes from Alabama. Jeremy commented at dinner that if only we had grown the tomatoes everything we were eating we had produced with our own hands. The tomatoes were at least locally grown, so I thought we were doing pretty good. It was such a pretty meal, too. I should've taken a picture. Yum-o!

Itchy and Scratchy

I have seven bug bites on each leg, three on my left arm and two on my right. Needless to say the Cutter didn't work so well this time. Argh!

You and me go fishin' in the dark....

Well, we didn't actually fish in the dark, but we did fish and we did have a great time! J and I went camping with his mom, Wayne, and Hunter over the weekend in Demopolis and had so much fun. We relaxed in the sun, fished on the river, and ate way too much!

Here are J and I in the camper. Apparently VERY happy!

J with one of the several bass he caught!

Wayne filleted the fish for us to fry. I watched this process and it wasn't nearly as gross as I thought!

Hunter and I leave the fish gore behind for a bike ride!

And we found these cool monkey bars to hang from!

Back to the fish fry...yum-o!
It was seriously some of the best fish I've ever had. So good!

Jeremy takes his fishing very seriously.

Welcome Summer!

It's official! Summer is here! Hope you are enjoying the longest day of the year. I'll be driving to Demopolis, Alabama tonight to spend the weekend fishing and camping with J and his family. I've never really fished before, so I'm pretty excited about this trip. I am a teeny bit nervous about the actual fishing part. I have never touched a fish before (well, that wasn't cooked up nicely and on a plate in front of me) and I think I will scream if I have to.

Who knows, maybe I'll catch one of these...

A Few of My Favorite Things

I've seen a few other blogs recently that were kind of product happy. I thought I'd share some of my most favorite finds, too!

By the way, I cannot for the life of me remember how to create a link, so if someone wants to share that knowledge with me, please comment below.

Covergirl Outlast eyeliner (my favorite shade is espresso) lives up to its name. It lasts all day long and doesn't wear off. Most other eyeliners I've tried are gone by lunch time, but this one sticks with me all day - even after a work out or even sleeping in it (oops!) it's still there!
Nail Envy is my very favorite nail product ever! It makes my typicall weak and gross nails really strong. I don't keep my nails long anyway, but this keeps them from breaking, splitting, and peeling. You can find it at stores like Beauty Express or at nail salons. It's about $16.50 a bottle, but I order it on eBay for half that price. :)

As far as sunless tanners go I think I've tried them all. I was that orange-colored girl with streaky arms and legs several years ago when they all started hitting the market. Sunless tanners have come a long, long way over the years and Jergens Natural Glow is probably my favorite. It's subtle color, but enough that you look sun-kissed and beachy! The smell is typical of other tanners (kind of a weird burned skin smell?) but I don't think it's quite as strong as others I've tried. I use it almost year round, but extra in the spring and summer. I like the Medium shade the best! Girls, in the spring and summer we all like to wear sandals and flip-flops. This is great - flip-flops are definitely my friend. However, this means that you MUST take care of your toes and heels. I think one of my biggest pet peeves is seeing toes with polish chipped off and heels that are super rough. I like to indulge in the occassional pedicure, but when I can't I use Ms. Pedicure products. You can get them at Wal-Mart and they are very inexpensive, but they work great! I have the foot scrub and the foot lotion and they both smell nice (minty!) and they take care of all that dry, dead skin that we tend to get in the summer. The kit I bought also came with a nail file, toe separators, and little flip flops to wear post-polish.

I'm not big on using hairspray, but when I do, I use Vita/E. I've been told that this is "old lady" hairspray, but I really like it. It's light and never sticky and gives me just enough hold.

Ok, maybe this is an over share, but I am not one of those girls who "glows" or "glistens." Unfortunately, I sweat. And when the temperatures outside are already reaching the mid-90's I sweat a lot. That's where Certain-Dri comes in. It is the same product as the Secret and Dove "clinical strength" varieties, but it is about half the price and it works great! It just looks more clinical and less pretty than the other brands. Trust me, it works. If you try it, just be sure and follow the directions that are enclosed in the packaging.

I think my most favorite product I have recently discovered is Bare Minerals make-up. It is wonderful! It stays on all day, covers well, but never looks "cakey" or "made up." I don't want to look like I'm wearing too much make up and with this product I feel like I achieve a good balance. Plus, it lasts a really long time. I am still using most of the starter kit that I got in DECEMBER! It is a little pricey, but when you can use it for more than 6 months it's worth the cost. You can find it online at bareminerals.com or at Sephora or Ulta stores. Try it, you'll love it!

Say "Cheese!"

Here are a few of the shots from the engagement session we did a few weeks ago. Our photog is Tyler Andrews (http://www.tylerandrews.com/) and he's super! You can see the whole shoot here: www.tylerandrews.com/jeremyandmarissa/engagement. Enjoy! :)

A (Minor) Success!

All of our hard work in the back yard is actually paying off. Here is our first cherry tomato from our upside down tomato plants!
And a yellow squash from our only surviving squash plant!

Some of our "harvest!"

Have You Seen It?!?!

I saw it Sunday night and it was everything I wanted it to be. I think I actually liked it more than I thought I would...if that's even possible because I knew I would love it! Molly and I went to see it and we even got a little dressed up for the occassion AND bought popcorn (which I rarely do because it is outrageously priced!!) I laughed, I cried, I applauded at the end like a dork with the rest of the theater.

If you haven't seen it, you should. It is well worth it!