Thanksgiving Tour

Tyler and I started our holiday weekend by traveling to Athens on Wednesday evening. We got up super early to start cooking breakfast for the Priest crew.

Tyler cooked 5 pounds of bacon, 4 pounds of sausage, 3 dozen eggs, 36 biscuits, and a half gallon of gravy. And, I made my signature leaf wreath.

And, no holiday is complete without the family pictures!

After breakfast we headed to Nashville just in time for dinner with the Martin crew. I was responsible for dessert. I made a perfect pumpkin pie and a Paula Deen - Corrie's Kentucky Pie. They were both wonderful!

Friday morning we got up at 3:15 AM to head out for Black Friday Shopping. We got our usual great deals. Tyler and I got a lot of Christmas shopping done and even got some Christmas decorations.

After an afternoon nap, it was time for the revised version of the family picture.

The Martins - 2008

The Martins/Forrests - 2010

We let a UT fan into the family!!!

(Riley wanted nothing to do with the camera this time!)

On Saturday Tyler and I set back off to Athens to help Nanny put up her Christmas tree.

Then, we came back to Chattanooga on Sunday to put up our own Christmas tree while we watched Christmas vacation!

Then we officially collapsed from a busy long weekend.

Tennessee Travels

The holiday season is well underway! Tyler and I had a successful Thanksgiving holiday full of food and traveling across the Middle and East parts of Tennessee. It's a good thing we love this state!

Tyler and I started off cooking a marvelous Thanksgiving breakfast at Nanny's house in Athens. I made my famous leaf wreath! So good! I love semi-homemade recipes from Sandra Lee!

Tyler cooked 3 lbs of bacon, 2 lbs of sausage, almost 3 dozen eggs, 2 dozen biscuits, and gravy. All with a Mayfield's apron on of course! I helped too!

Tyler and I with all of his cousins!

Then we were off to Nashville to eat dinner with my family!

Then on Friday, Tyler experienced his first Black Friday shopping experience. My mom, Sarah, Tyler, and I started at 5:00 am at Target. Let me explain to you how we Black Friday shop. We never want any of the big ticket items, we simply go to enjoy the start of the Christmas season! Tyler and I did get a couple good deals on accessories for our Christmas present to each other. (I am saving that one for another post!)

After a few days in Nashville we headed back to Athens to help put up Nanny's Christmas tree and lunch with Cousin Harry. Harry gave me this little pitcher to match some of the Hobnail that my Grandmother has given me from her collection.

Now to photo update you from things I hadn't posted lately.

Tyler and I had the priviledge of helping our friends Leanne and Brandon get engaged! Here is a sweet picture right after it happened.

Tyler and I have attended several UT games this fall. Here are a few from the past couple.

Those fall leaves were too pretty not to take a picture!

And this photo is from the UT/Vandy game! Notice I have on no orange. I decided to wear black and gray. A neutral color so I wasn't SUCH a Vandy fan in the UT skybox!

I have recently discovered that I love shopping online. Even more I love mail. The shopping online really helps with the getting mail part! I recently got our cake topper in the mail thanks to Crafty Eddie of Georgia. Here is the before shot:

This is going to be my craft in the coming weeks! I am super excited! I have already recieved my crystals (via the mail of course!) Now I just have to apply them! You will have to wait to see the after shot until the wedding! (Only 6 1/2 months away!)

Also, another surprise on my doorstep last night was another package from an online order! Our personalized napkins for the wedding! Here is a sneak peak of one of the designs:

LOVE THEM! You are probably wondering why I have already ordered them. Well, you see.....being the bargain shopper that I am, they were on sale!

And, if you recall from an earlier post, today being December 1, the Save the Dates go out TODAY! Whoo Hoo!!! Here is the stack that I am handing over into the hands of our lovely postal service! All 258 of them to Kentucky, Kansas, Georgia, Ohio, Virginia, Alabama, Florida, California, and of course all over Tennessee.

Merry Christmas Y'all! -ECM(F)

Tis the Season!

It is hard to believe that Thanksgiving is NEXT week! As most of you know, Thanksgiving is Tyler's favorite holiday. I am especially excited about it this year too! I am looking forward to not only bring Tyler home to share it with my family but also going to share it with Tyler's family. I will be contributing a Leaf Wreath to the Priest Thanksgiving breakfast this year. And, to the Martin Thanksgiving Feast a traditional pumpkin pie and... something else. (I have yet to decide!) I am also looking forward to leftover turkey sandwiches. This is the only reason that my mom would ever buy me white bread. I LOVED white bread as a kid however, my mom would never buy it for me except at Thanksgiving. (Don't worry Mom, I'm not holding it against you.)

I have something I must confess: I have listened to Christmas music on the way to to work EVERYDAY this week. You see, it all started on Monday morning, I just couldn't listen to this one song that I had just heard one too many times. So that's when I innocently hit the scan button. The next thing I know the radio was singing those sweet Christmas tunes and I couldn't resist the urge. I stopped the scan and before I knew it I was belting out the words of "Where are you Christmas?" as if I were Faith Hill herself. I will say, I am TOTALLY in the Christmas mood now. =)

Speaking of Christmas: We have already started to get Christmas party invitations! I love a good Christmas party! Most of which are the annual Chancellor's Holiday parties. I am excited to get to see all my old friends on the University staff! I really do miss them. Also, Tyler and I have gotten the word that our Save The Dates/Christmas Cards are ready! I am anxious to see them!They will be in the mail December 1!

Tomorrow is the Vandy/UT game.......I can already tell you, it is going to be a rough day for Tyler and I. Seeing as how I am a Vandy fan and Tyler is a UT fan..there could be problems. I have informed Tyler that this would be the only time I would not wear orange in the skybox. I know this could be dangerous to my health but this is one thing I am willing to risk. When you are born and raised a Vandy fan, no boyfriend/fiance/soon-to-be husband can make you change this especially not to a UT fan. (Sorry babe!) I will let you know if I make it out alive! (only half kidding there!)

-ECM(F)

TGIF

I am so glad it is Friday! It seems as though this week has gone by really fast, but it has also been jam packed!

Tyler is in Washington D.C. currently. I took him to the airport at 5:00 a.m. yesterday. He is up there participating in the Presidential Fellows Program. He and 60 other college students study different aspects of politics and presidential leadership. Just his type of thing. This is the first of two visits to the country's capital. He also has to write a wicked long paper! (Ugh!) I think he has really enjoyed his time from what I heard when I talked to him last night. He will have to fill you in on more details when he gets back! His flight gets in late Saturday night.

Last night, Lindsay joined me for the opening of the new Majestic 12 movie theatre. The RiverCity Company is partially responsible for this new LEED certified green theatre so I got 2 tickets to the sneak peek. It was crazy packed last night! We watched the movie The Hangover. It was super funny!

As I told you in an earlier post, Tyler and I went to take more engagement pictures. Thankfully, Wednesday afternoon was BEAUTIFUL! Here are some of the lovely products from that afternoon:

I think they turned out just wonderful!

Thanksgiving plans are in the works! I can't believe it is already time for that! I can honestly say that Thanksgiving hasn't been one of my favorite holidays for years now. (It is Tyler's most fav!) But, for some reason this year I am super excited! I am in charge of the pumpkin pie at my house so I have found a Paula Deen recipe that I am excited to try out! - ECM(F)