Stuffed Peppers

I needed more recipes for ground beef and this recipe I found on allrecipes.com and it is cheap and easy- enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

1/2 cup uncooked rice

6 green peppers

8 oz tomato sauce cans (2)

1 tbl Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

salt and pepper

1 tsp Italian seasoning

How you make this yummy dish...

1st- Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2nd- Cook rice

3rd- Brown meat

4th- Clean out the inside of the peppers and lay them on a baking dish with the tops open.

5th- Combine all ingredients (including rice and meat) except for one can of the tomato sauce and Italian seasoning. Spoon out even amounts into each of the peppers

6th- Take 2nd can of tomato sauce and Italian seasoning, mix together and drizzle over peppers.

7th- Cook for 1 hour in oven. Every 15 minutes, drizzle more sauce over peppers

** If you are really feeling out there- add a dash of cheese to each pepper with about 5 minutes left. Also serve with tortilla chips! ENJOY!

Fun Friday on... MONDAY!

I just find this so fun, hope you do too!

What to eat...

Loaded Baked Potato Soup



It is beautiful cold weather and I have the perfect crock pot soup recipe (because what can be easier than that?) Dan and I love making this soup and it is making hungry just thinking about it. I hope you enjoy... have a blessed Monday!

Peel and cut 6 medium size potatoes
Chop one onion
14 oz chicken broth
1/4 cup butter
3 tsp of salt
1 tsp of pepper
Combine all ingredients into a slow cooker. After about 6 hours, add...
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup cheddar cheese
Chives as desired
Bacon bits as desired
Let sit for just a little bit and then serve!

When serving, top with sour cream, bacon bits, and cheddar cheese

Thanksgiving celebration with friends

What a wonderful time it is to get to share in fellowship with our friends from small group. Each couple brought a side dish and of course Dan and I fried a turkey! Dan loves frying a turkey because, in his mind, it's the only way to cook one! It is soo yummy because he lets it sit out overnight in seasonings. For people who have never had a fried turkey, they are in for a treat.

We were able to have this special occasion in our new home so it was even more fun! We had potato casserole, ceasar salad, pineapple casserole, twice baked potatoes, green bean casserole, and brownies for dessert. The girls stayed inside the warm house chatting and waiting patiently for everything to be done, while the boys watched Dan fry and cut the turkey. Here are some pictures that helped us capture the evening.

Baby Monkey (Going Backwards On A Pig)

FUN FRIDAYS START OFF WITH A BANG!
I hope you enjoy this cute little song...

You can enjoy the song FREE on i-tunes

New era...

I have decided to begin a new era of my (and Dan's ...)blog!

With this, I promise to update more often and include other things that I originally set out to do. I am going to update on Dan and I's life (with pictures) much more frequently and I am going to start theme days!

On Mondays I will begin with a recipe for the day

On Wednesdays I will have a "pick you up" (something that God is showing me... that might lift you up as well!)

On Fridays we will have... duh!! FUN FRIDAYS!

Throughout the week and weekend I will add in other things! Hopefully this will get more people to look at my blog... keep me accountable! Love you all.

E-mealz

I had to share something I just find absolutely wonderful! I had heard about it from my sister-in-law and then got to try some first hand recipes from my friend so now I have joined it myself!

This website is called http://www.e-mealz.com/ and it does all the work for you! These moms (so they have tested out the recipes and deals first hand) take your grocery store (Wal-mart, Publix, Kroger) and how many people (either 2 or family) and create a weeks worth of dinners. These meals will be based on the deals of the week, guaranteeing a pretty low budget. Dan and I have had 2 meals so far and really enjoyed both!

Each week I get excited about what meals are in store and besides being economical (its only $5 a month for all the savings you get) it also adds a little spice in your normal meal routine. I suggest everyone to look into it! Just wanted to share...

Forgotten God

Another book by Francis Chan, "Forgotten God", really gets at the heart of how we have lost part of the Holy Spirit. He pleads in the book for us to follow Christ and to believe in the true adventure of following the Holy Spirit. Throughout the book, Chan looks at how people have moved away from the Holy Spirit and are able to keep living normal lives; he then discusses ways to not get "stuck" in your idea of the Holy Spirit and to not be fearful about learning more about him; and lastly, how to live faithfully with power from the holy Spirit in your life.

It was a very good book and reminded me of how much I go throughout my day not thinking twice about my actions or seeing if I am truly surrendering to the Lord and listening to what the Holy Spirit is calling me to do- no matter how crazy.


I want to share just a few quotes that really stuck out to me:

"If he doesn't move, we will not produce genuine fruit- no matter how
much effort or money we spend... we are not all we were made to be when
everything in our lives and churches can be explained apart from the work and presence of the Holy Spirit."

"There is a huge difference between believing what God has promised and praying for things you'd like to be true."

"If we never pray audacious, courageous prayers, how

can He answer them? If we never follow Him to

positions where we need Him, how can He show

up and make his presence known?"

"If you have not known and experienced God in ways you cannot deny, I would

suggest that you are not living in a needy and dependent way. "

I challenge everyone to take a minute to truly reflect on your own life and allow God to enter it in every aspect...

Fall is here!

I know, I know... it has been like, forever, but I am here to catch you up on some things. Dan and I have had a crazy semester from me starting Graduate School at Auburn to Dan getting a new job. Here is a little bit of our life:

I started Graduate school in August and our amazing family (Lee and Lacey) allowed us to live with them until we figured thigns out. We moved out about a week ago and Dan and I are loving our new place. We of course miss all the fun times we had (dinners, movies, and dog craziness). God has been so faithful and we are very greatful for every thing that has happened. Dan started working for a Home Builder company in Auburn and he is over some guys that do the spray foam insulation. It is going great!

Dan and I, with the rest of the family, had an Auburn vs. Clemson tailgate. It was such a blast and can't wait for nxt year when we all go and tailgate in South Carolina! I am getting very pumped for this weekends Auburn vs. UGA matchup- WAR EAGLE!

Aunt Pfrim turned 60!!! We all had a blast celebrating with her up in Memphis. She does so much for our family and we love getting to go visit her and experience all the fun things Memphis has to offer.

We all traveled to Kentucky to enjoy Paige and Jeff's beautiful wedding. It was great to have the whole Pfrimmer family together and we all can't wait for Gramps' 90th birthday cruise to really get to all hang out.

A "camp couple" got married- Drew and Amanda Hullinger. It was a lot of fun hanging out with everyone. Favorite memory was doing the photo booth- Finnis did not really understand the program...

Hunting season has begun and the best quote from the season so far:
I say to dan- "I think I like the idea of hunting more than I like actually hunting."
My sweet hubby then replies, "it's kind of ok, I think I like the idea of you hunting with me better than I like you actually hunting with me."
(and that is why we love each other)

Our family got a new puppy. HER name is Ellie- this is huge for our fmaily because we have always had boy dogs. Duncan and Leland are having fun with their new playmate.

I promise to keep everyone updated more! I have finished a new book- so look for a review soon. I promise to make this one shorter...

Demotivators...

All of these are found on the website despair. com. I find them hillarious and hope you do too. Laughing is always good for the soul! Some of them are a bit harsh... but just giggle on the inside then.

Crazy Love

"CRAZY, RELENTLESS,

ALL- POWERFUL LOVE"

"Crazy Love" by Francis Chan (with Danae Yankoski) was amazing and rocked my world. It was recommended by a friend in my small group and she said that it was very intense... it was! The book talks about the kind of relationship we should have with our Father in heaven and that it does not involve a list of do's and don'ts, but that it is about falling in love with the Lord. This love might make you do "crazy" things, according to today's standards, but that your passion for the Lord is so intense that you do not even care!

One small group night, my friend gave us about 8 or so quotes that we discussed as a group- they all came from this book. Some of the ideas made us think a lot, and all seemed very radical... or was it? I decided to take a look at the book as a whole and see if some of my interpretations changed once I read it from beginning to end. I have to admit, I still think similarly, but the first few chapters set up the foundation for the book in a way that blew me away. It brought up some old ideas that I had just been believing in but not really taking them to heart. In the small group, some more of the radical ideas were brought up and discussed, but it was refreshing to look at some of Chan's basic principals.

Below, I am going to list off some of the passages or quotes that stood out to me. Please, take a moment to think about some of these ideas and how they fit into your life.

God is eternal and hard to understand.

Not being able to fully understand God is frustrating, but it is ridiculous for us to think we have the right to limit God to something we are capable of comprehending. What a stunned, insignificant god that would be! If my mind is the size of a soda can and God is the size of all the oceans, it would be stupid for me to say He is only the small amount of water I can scoop into my little can." (pages 31-32)

Sometimes I forget that God is so big and that it is impossible to understand everything he has in store for my life and the reasons for why he does things.

Lukewarm People

Chan also talks about "lukewarm people" and how they approach church/ Christianity. Here are some of his views (pages 68-81):

Lukewarm people...

-attend church fairly regularly. it is what is expected of them, what they believe "good Christians" do, so they go. (Look at Isiah 29:13)

- tend to choose what is popular over what is right when they are in conflict. They desire to fit in both at church and outside of church; they care more about what people think of their actions (like church attendance and giving) than what God thinks of their hearts and lives." (God talks a lot about this in Luke 6:26, Revelations 3:1, and Matthew 23:5-7)

-are moved by stories about people who do radical things for Christ, yet they do not act. They assume such action is for "extreme" Christians, not average ones. Lukewarm people call "radical" what Jesus expected of all His followers. (The world has deceived our outlook... but some verses that remind us are in James 1:22, James 4:17, and Matthew 21:28-31)

- rarely share their faith with their neighbors, coworkers, or friends. They do not want to be rejected, nor do they want to make people feel uncomfortable by talking about private issues like religion. (Matthew 10:32- 33)

- love God, but they do not love Him with all their heart, soul, and strength. They would be quick to assure you that they try to love God that much, but that sort of total devotion isn't really possible for the average person; it's only for pastors and missionaries and radicals. (God reminds us about the greatest commandment in Matthew 22:37-38)

- do not live by faith; their lives are structured so they never have to. They don't have to trust God if something unexpected happens- they have their savings account. They don't need God to help them- they have their retirement plan in place. They don't genuinely seek out what life God would have them live- they have life figured and mapped out. They don't depend on God on a daily basis- their refrigerators are full and, for the most part, they are in good health. The truth is, their lives wouldn't look much different if they suddenly stopped believing in God. (Luke 12:16-21 and Hebrews 11)

Chen also asks some hard questions:

"Are you willing to say to God that He can have whatever He wants? Do you believe that wholehearted commitment to Him is more important that any other thing or person in your life? Do you know that nothing you do in this life will ever matter, unless it is about God and loving the people He has made?" (page 97)

Having faith often means doing what others see as crazy. Something is wrong when our lives make sense to unbelievers." (pg 114-115)

"But God doesn't call us to be comfortable. He calls us to trust Him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in situations where we will be in trouble if He doesn't come through." (page 124)

Profile of The Obsessed

Obsessed people are more concerned with obeying God than doing what is expected or fulfilling the status quo. A person who is obsessed with Jesus will do things that don't always make sense in terms of success or wealth on this earth.

People who are obsessed with Jesus aren't consumed with their personal safety and comfort above all else. Obsessed people care more about God's kingdom coming to this earth than their own lives being shielded from pain or distress.

A person who is obsessed with Jesus knows that the sin of pride is always a battle. Obsessed people know that you can never be "humble enough," and so they seek to make themselves less known and Christ more known.

people who are obsessed with Jesus do not consider service a burden. Obsessed people take joy in loving God by loving His people.

A person who is obsessed is characterized by committed, settled, passionate love for God, above and before every other thing and every other being.

Take a second and look at how you are living your life... I know I am not living 100% full throttle, all inhibitions aside, and all my love and money and time are not going to serve His kingdom. The big question for me is if I am going to continue living how I am living, or am I going to change into one of those radical Christians?

Same Kind of Different as Me

My Dad got a book from one of his Nationwide Insurance Agent friends and he loved it. I have to admit, my type of books are normally not his, so I procrastinated reading it. I finally read the book this summer and it was amazing.

"Same Kind of Different As Me" told by Denver Moore and Ron Hall was a wonderful, true story about two very different people that meet up in a way only God could put together. Denver grew up in Louisiana on a Plantation, where his early life is of constant brokenness and disappointment... but he hasn't seen anything better so he assumes this is all his life can be. He decides to take a chance on a train ride to Texas and see if life on the streets can be better than his life on a cotton farm. Ron grew up and led a very simple life in Texas and found a love for high end paintings and formed a career by buying and selling art. This led to him making a lot of money.

Ron Hall's wife is a stubborn woman who has a heart of gold. Deborah (Debbie) brings the two of them together and creates a special bond that will shine for many years to come. Debbie and Ron's marriage starts to go in different directions. Debbie is in love with the Lord and Ron is in love with art. To bring them back together, and to put God first, they decide to volunteer weekly at a shelter to serve food to the homeless people on the "other side of the bridge". Miss Debbie (as she is affectionately known) does not just want to show up and serve food. She makes it her mission to show the Love of the Lord through her actions and starts to build friendships with the "lowest" people in Fort Worth, TX. I do not want to give away any part of the book, but I strongly encourage anyone who can spare a little time to read this special book.

Some of the questions that the book brings up are prejudices, homelessness, sickness and suffering, forgiveness and most importantly, Faith. The discussion questions are great for a group, a couple, or just things for you to think about. The main thing I do not want people to assume is that this book is only about how rich people should give there time and money to help people in poverty. A friendship is born through the actions of someone giving up their time, but it was more a story about a monetarily rich man that builds a "catch and keep friendship" with a man who is rich spiritually. God used the lives of these people to show what can blossom if you put your pride aside and just love.

There are many key points that I took away, but the 2 biggest nuggets of information the Lord showed me was:

1. To never just assume people are in the position they are in because of their "bad" actions, but to show them the love that God has showed you. God knows all of our deepest thoughts and desires... and He still loves all of us more strongly than we will ever be able to grasp.

2. God allows suffering in this world and he has allowed "bad things to happen to good people." He does this because of free will. God does not always answer our prayers in our timing, but with patience and trust, we have to believe He is in control and all will be done at His timing and will.

If you do read the book... and I hope you do... please do not read the discussion questions or look at the pictures in the book till the end. It does give away some things and I feel it might make more of an impression if you do not see it coming. Please let me know your thoughts and if you have read the book! I am about to start reading "Crazy Love," I hope to write something soon on that one!

Our Summer

What a blast we have had since the my last April post... sorry about that. I can't believe this summer is almost over and the school year is about to start- yes we are back on school year terms. We have had some amazing lake and beach weekends, my little sister graduated, my Dad's 50th birthday, a wonderful wedding with some great friends, and we have done some house searching as well. I am hoping to keep yall posted more. Have a great end of your summer.

Where are we now?

Dan and I moved in September of 2009 from the suburbs of Atlanta to Dadeville, Alabama (Lake Martin). Dadeville is 30 minutes away from our old stomping ground, AUBURN! Dan got a job bidding jobs for a construction company in the Auburn area, so we quickly jumped on the chance to move to this area. As a favor, our parents let us stay at their Lake Condo and "stage" it for them while they are trying to sell it. I got a job as a teacher assistant at a school for kids with severe Autism Spectrum Disorders and Mental Retardation.

We love the life of living on the lake, with it's relaxed and secluded feel- but being 30 minutes away from our friends in Auburn is starting to get old. We drove this amount of time to work in Atlanta, but we are ready to stop commuting. We did not immediately move to Auburn when we first got here because we wanted to make sure Dan's job worked out and I was applying to graduate schools for Speech Pathology.

God is always faithful and he answered our prayers by me getting into Auburn's Graduate School program (I start in the Fall) and Dan got a job for Auburn University in their in house construction department. We are very eager to see what God has in store for this summer because we start to make the HUGE steps of hopefully buying our first place. In the meantime, we are happy with living on the lake for the summer- what a stressful life!

Our honeymoon

Dan and I stayed in Kona, Hawaii for the most part of our honeymoon. The home we stayed in was a gracious gift by one of Dan's groomsmen and his family. Mitch (the groomsmen) and his family have a beautiful home in Kona and allowed us to stay there for just about the whole week. It was the perfect getaway and we had a blast. We spent two days in Honolulu to finish out our honeymoon. Two very different experiences but both were beautiful!

The "Mase" dog

Our kid is MASON! He is a rather large, 4 years old, 90 lb (was at 97 lbs, trying to get him down...) black lab. We adore him and could not live without our puppy. Dan got Mason his Sophomore year at Auburn, so I have been in Mason's life the whole time, but I am sometimes affectionately called "The step-mom". We have really been trying to work out with Mason and giving him "healthy diet" food to hopefully get some weight off him... but we love him any way!

A little bit about us!

Dan and I met our Freshman year at Auburn University. We were both going through Young Life training and were placed on the same team at Opelika Middle School. Over the summer and into our Sophomore year, we tried to play it cool by just being "great team mates," but quickly saw that God had something more in store for our relationship.



Luckily, our Young Life team was very accepting of a couple on the team (which is technically not usually allowed). We ministered all throughout our college years together in Young Life and grew more and more in love with the Lord and with his guidance and help, more in love with each other.



In January of our Senior year, he proposed at the Chateau Elan Winery in Braselton, GA. It was a year of hectic planning and finishing school but we had an amazing time being engaged. We got to begin our lives together with our first BIG decision making of where to live and what job options were out there.


On March 14th, 2009, Dan and I got married and began our lives together. It was a rainy Saturday that we cherished with Family and Friends.