Weekend Recap: Sandi Patty Edition

Well, I just had the highest hopes for blogging everyday last week but then Mother got sick and we had to spend a major chunk of the day at Comprehensive Care on Tuesday.  And then on Thursday I came down with a fever and a stomach virus of epic proportions.  I'm convinced that I got it when we took Mother to the doctor on Tuesday.  My first clue was that her doctor came in and said "would you believe that I've seen four cases of a strain of flu with fever and stomach virus?"  Yep, that's where it came from.  I'm just beyond thankful that Mother didn't catch it.  That would have really been bad.  D was a rock star handling the dogs and helping with Mother (she's living with us now) when I couldn't lift my head off the pillow.  So that was our week last week, how was yours?

Saturday morning I met with one of my favorite young ladies from our church; daughter of some dear friends who is finding herself a bride in May.  When she set her date, I was already booked with another wedding so I'm working her through the planning process all the way to the Big Day.  It makes me a littler nervous to leave her in the unfamiliar hands of others but I'm sure she'll be just fine.  We had a delightful morning of looking back at old times and looking forward to her new season.  It was truly a blessing. 

On Saturday afternoon,, I found myself trying to play catch up with various projects from the whole week.  That was a little overwhelming and I'm still digging out.  The next six weeks are beyond busy with coordinating four events/weddings, hosting a shower at my house and opening my new office and the new shop.  Oh dear, one.day.at.a.time.sweet.Jesus. 

Before I go I've got to tell you about last night.  Okay, just like y'all I'm sure, D and I lead very hectic lives so we try our best to set aside Sunday evenings as a date night.  So when I saw that Ms. Sandi Patty was going to be at Johns Creek Baptist Church last night, I ordered tickets.  This would be a perfect date night (except that D's mom wanted to go so she went with us.  That's kinda the story of our lives right now).   I even upgraded so we could go to the Meet and Greet. I've been looking forward to it for months.    I can honestly say that Sandi's music has influenced me more than any others through the years. She's been one that I've just kept in the rotation and when I've needed a little uplifting moment from music, Sandi Patty has been there for me.  Her voice is truly one of, if not the greatest, of our generation.  Last night she sang with the church's 125-voice choir behind her and I thought surely we had already gone to heaven.    When she sang "How Great Thou Art" with that choir, I was just done.  It was amazing. 

Here we are with Sandi at the Meet and Greet:

This is not a great photo but this gives you the feel of the church and the choir with Sandi.   What a great evening!

Okay, gotta go.  I started a few weeks ago recording the "Cooking with Crevolyn" segments with the Dahlonega radio station.  They are fun bunch let me tell you!  I'm off to talk to them.  Have a great day!

Take me Out to the Ballgame - The G Edition

Last Monday was the opening day of Baseball 2015.  So in honor of that, the Braves 5-1 season start and let's be honest, just because I love this so much, let's let G get us in the baseball spirit!
I'm guessing he was about 3 or 4 years old at the time. I'm not sure what I love more: the knee slaps, the nose "itch," or all the hat action.  And the boy can flat out sing, don't ya think? 

The Retreat at Long Mountain

Many years ago when D's parents purchased the farm in Cleveland, it was his Dad's vision and dream for the property to someday be used for ministry.  Over the years, it was used many times hosting retreats, worship services, meetings, prayer days, Sunday School parties and a whole lot more.  It was used by our family for lots of fun and relaxing as well as family reunions, parties and even a few weddings.  But God had more in mind for this place.  After Johnnie died, D's mom decided it was time for the vision to be realized so talks began with our church, Lakewood Baptist, to become the beneficiary of this property.   On Saturday, April 4 the first official event unveiling the Retreat at Long Mountain was held.  It included over 1,100 people enjoying a meal, an Easter egg hunt, and a plane flyover.    We could not be more thrilled to see what God has in mind for this piece of His earth.  I couldn't help but think maybe God parted the veil and let Johnnie peak down.

Pictured with Dr. Tom Smiley, Kirky, Sadie and Penny.  :) 

My John Denver Story

This is my column published in The Times.    I'm sharing one of my fondest memories of days gone by ...

I’ve always worked.   In my family, when you turned 16 you got a job.  However, up until I was about 15 ½ I thought when you turned 16, you got a car.  Nobody told me until then that the car would also require a job!   It didn’t take me long to realize that if you want something, like gas to put in your car, you had to work for it.  I continued to work all through school.  My early jobs while in high school and college were as a bookkeeper, a receptionist, a student ambassador for my college, a fashion show coordinator for the local mall and a “prep assistant” for the college food science classes.  I wasn’t even a food science major.  Isn’t that interesting how life comes full circle sometimes? 

These days, my jobs include planning weddings and events, writing a blog, selecting/tasting/adapting recipes and speaking about food and entertaining.  I’ve had some interesting jobs along the way but I’ve got to tell you about one of my favorites that wasn’t really a paying job.  It was an internship.

 

In graduate school, I had the opportunity to work at an advertising agency based out of St. Louis.  One of my assignments was to handle the print advertising for upcoming concerts.  Remember, this was 1981 before the techno age hit and things were still being mailed, printed and hand delivered.  One day my boss came in and told me my new client was on the phone.  I picked up the phone and imagine my surprise when I heard, “Hi Crevolyn.  This is John Denver.”  Well, this job just got better.  We talked regularly over the course of the next few months.  He was warm, engaging and kind.  The day came when my portion of the job was coming to an end.  John made one last call and when I answered, he immediately started singing … “you fill up my senses, like a night in the forest, like the mountains in springtime, like a walk in the rain” (from “Annie’s Song”) then very graciously thanked me for all of my work on his behalf.   What a great gift I received that day.  That alone was payment enough!  I’ll never forget it. 

My Daddy always said “a little hard work never hurt anyone.”  I’ll venture to say that most folks feel a great sense of accomplishment after a job well done.  So let’s get in the kitchen, make this Baked Spaghetti and reap the benefits of some good work.  This is one of our family’s favorites. 

Baked Spaghetti

Ingredients:

1 ½ pounds lean ground meat

2 (24 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce

8 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta

1 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese

1 ½ cups grated Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Crumble ground meat in a saucepan.  Cook until no pink remains; drain off the fat.  Combine ground meat and spaghetti sauce.  Simmer together about 20 minutes.  While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Combine the cheeses into one bowl. Cover the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan with a third of the sauce.  Add a layer of pasta, then add a cup of cheese; repeat the layers, ending with the last third of the sauce.  Bake for 30 minutes. Top with the remaining cup of cheese, return to the oven and continue to cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly.  Cut into squares and serve.

He is Risen!

It's March 2015 (again in April)!

March 2015 was one of the craziest months of recent.  There were lots of good things going on and lots of not-so-good things going on.  But I guess that's usually the way life goes.

The first of the month started with lots of planning for a brand new venture I could not be more excited about.  For months, my friend Tracy has been toying with the idea of opening a gift/home store.  Several doors closed along the way but one flew wide open about the middle of February and she took the plunge.  She signed a lease on the cutest little house and began the process of preparing to open The Iron Rose.   Isn't this awesome?  You want to know what is more awesome?  I'm moving my Wonderful Events office there!  WooHoo!  I'm super excited.  The Main Street Market location has served us well for almost 5 years but I felt like this was the next right thing.  So we moved all of the office things to the new location last week.  While things are still in major disarray there, it will eventually be fabulous.

Anyway, back to March.  Tracy and I began to think about how best to restore this old house to a more cozy cottage homey feel.  Paint colors and light fixtures were chosen and the buying of merchandise commenced.  Whew, that was an ordeal.  I went to the Mart a couple of times but Tracy, of course, has primarily worked tirelessly to choose just the right merchandise mix.  Which is no easy task when you are opening something new.  I think she's done an amazing job.  I love everything she's bought.  So we've got that going on ...

On March 7th, my sweet girl turned 29 years old.  LOVE this child.  She is such an amazing person.  She's so amazing that she had 2 birthday desserts:  her old favorite Strawberry Cake and her new favorite, Grasshopper Pie.  She loves chocolate and mint so I had to add this to the birthday mix. 

Happy Birthday to you, sweet Emily!


On the 14th we headed to Nashville just for a fun weekend.  We usually go to visit D's sister and her family in Murfreesboro and never make it to Nashville.  But this time, we were going to be tourists and we had a great time.

If you are a fan of American Pickers, you need to make a beeline to their new store in Nashville, Antique Archeology.  Of course, what do you think the Wiley's did?  They walked straight to this awesome miniature grocery store.  Is that not awesome?  If not for the $250 price tag, it might have come home with us. 

Next we went to the  Fontanel Mansion which is the former home of Barbara Mandrell.  Being a long time fan of Barbara and a super-fan of the Mandrell Sisters Variety Show (who remembers that too?),
this was an awesome glimpse into the Mandrell's career.  And, by the way, the Fontanel Mansion is the largest log home in the world.
Darrell was loving Buck Owen's red, white and blue guitar.  Okay, you've got to remember Buck, too, right? 

After an exhausting afternoon of site seeing we had to have some nourishment.  And of course you can't be a tourist in Nashville and not eat at the Loveless Cafe.  The best fried chicken I've ever put in my mouth.  Yum.  

On Sunday morning, we got up and went to Puckett's Grocery and Restaurant in Franklin.  We first saw this grocery store turned restaurant on the Food Channel several years ago and have had it in the back of our mind's ever since that we wanted to visit.  We had their breakfast buffet and it did not disappoint.  Delish.  Obviously this is a stock photo of an event held there but this shows you how cool this place is. 


After leaving Franklin (which by the way I want to go back when all of those cute little shops are open) we stopped at Carnton Plantation.  I highly suggest you read about this place.  It was fascinating.  During one of the civil war battles, this private home became an instant hospital to 300  soldiers. The wood floors are still stained with the soldier's blood. The ones that were killed are buried right on the grounds, over 1,500 soldiers.   It is the largest privately owned military cemetery in the nation.  The woman of the house, Carrie McGavock become devoted to giving these men a lasting legacy and worked tirelessly to identify the bodies, mark their grave sites and contact their families.  So interesting.

After we left Carnton, we headed to downtown Nashville for a major tourist attraction, The Country Music Hall of Fame.  I loved it.  I could have stayed in there all day.  Right now, they have special Alan Jackson and Ronnie Milsap collections.  Two of my favorites. 

One of the reasons for going this weekend was because we had tickets for The Sing Off Live Tour.  We have gotten hooked on this show and when we saw at Christmas that they would be at the Ryman Auditorium, we got together with D's sister and her husband and got tickets.  If you aren't familiar with the Sing Off, it is a singing competition for acapella groups.  The things these folks can do with their voices are amazing.  You just have to listen.  This is one of our favorite groups, Home Free, singing "Ring of Fire."  Love.

Monday morning as we were heading back to Gainesville, we got the call that my mom had fallen.  Long story but she didn't break anything or hit her head but she did have a heart attack.  She stayed in the hospital until Friday and was then transferred to a rehab facility to regain her strength.  She'll be released from there on Sunday and come to stay at our house for awhile.  So it's been a crazy couple of weeks.  I had knee surgery last Friday, the 27th and I'm making progress.

So I think that catches up to April.  Today is a big day.  I can't wait to tell you about it.  And tomorrow's Easter.  He is Risen.  He is Risen indeed! 

February 2015 (in April)

As you know, we are playing a little bit of a catch up game with the blog.  We are reliving the month of February today!

February started with a beautiful wedding right here in Gainesville on the 7th. The ceremony was at Grace Episcopal Church and reception at The Robson Center.   I was thrilled to coordinate this sweet family's special day.   I grabbed this photo off the photographer's website so I need to give a huge shout out to Kaylan Bradley of Happy Everything Photography.  She is awesome.  And aren't these fur stoles amazing and perfect for a February wedding?!



In January I wrote that  one of G's best friends had gone missing.  On February 8th, sadly, his friend's body was found.  To say that we were and still are heartbroken for his family is an understatement.  His loss is unimaginable.  He and G were super close in high school and he spent lots of time at our home.  When they both went to college, they continued their friendship and would see each other on breaks.  There wasn't a time that he came in our house that he didn't give me a bear hug.  He was a great young man.   G worked tirelessly when his friend went missing to find him.  We had hoped and prayed for another outcome.  G was asked to speak at the funeral and while it was extremely difficult, he did a great job honoring his buddy.  I just can't imagine the pain of losing a child.  Continued thoughts and prayers for his family.   

So on Feburary 14th we left for a much needed and long anticipated cruise with some of our best friends.  They most recently moved to Florida from Atlanta and because we never get to see them, we were super excited about this trip!
D pulled off the BEST Valentine's Day ever!!! We flew into San Juan a day early to celebrate and then explore the island.  That was a great decision. Because you know I'm all about the food and drinks.  Here's our Valentine's Day in review.
Red and white sangria.  It was as good as it looked. 

Honestly, I can't tell you what all this is but I do remember it was delicious. 

This is the best rice and beans on the planet.  I'm sure of it. 

San Juan we loved you.  We hope to see you again soon.  

We cruised to St. Thomas, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, and St. Marteen.  All were fabulous but St. Marteen was our favorite.  Well, other than San Juan.
 
When you are on a cruise you usually don't get much cell phone service even when you dock.  However D couldn't stand it so he bought the limited service cell plan.  Imagine his surprise when he began to get texts and emails that there was a major ice storm in Gainesville and one of stores was without power.  Apparently, lots of places were without power.  However, it's a major thing when a grocery store is without power.  I'm sure no one that was involved in the process of pulling all of the refrigerated and frozen product from our Limestone store (except E) will ever read this but I just have to say they were rock stars.  They worked tirelessly to put all of that product on refrigerated trucks that were parked in the parking lot until the power was restored.  And then they put it all back in the store.  I just can't imagine the manpower that this project took.  D tried hard not to be distracted on the cruise once he realized all that was happening back home.   It was struggle for him, believe me. 

This trip was the highlight of our month!  Good thing we went because March turned out to be quite the hard one.   More to come ... 

I'm Back ... to January 2015!

No, this is not April Fools - I really am writing a blog post.  I just cannot tell you all that has happened in the almost 3 months since I last posted in January.  I tell you when that calendar rolls around to a new year, you really have no idea what that new year holds.  Thank the good Lord that He is beside us every step of the way.    Let me hit the highlights of January, February and March in the next few posts so then we can move on. 

In January ...
1.  We went to the Governor's Inaugural Ball and it was so much fun!  Here's a few photos of the loves of my life.   

That's Alan Jackson in that last picture.  Didn't know if you could pick him out!  :)

2.  We went on a little girls trip that next week to St. Simons.  And boy, oh boy, was that a fun weekend!  I adore these women.  And I love, love St. Simons' King and Prince, their shopping and last but never least, their food.  It's my happy place.

This might be one of the best things I've ever eaten, Eggs Low Country from the Echo Restaurant at the King and Prince.  Think shrimp, potatoes, corn, andouille sausage and a fried egg.  It was breakfast perfection.  

3.  The weekend of the 24th and 25th found me at New Beginnings on Saturday and The 2015 Gainesville Bridal Expo on Sunday.  Both were fabulous days!
 Here are few photos from the Bridal Show.  Emily and I, along with one of Emily's besties, Elisa, had a great time.  It's a crazy busy hectic day but in the end, totally worth it.  Many thanks to my buddies Mary and Judy for some amazing florals for all of our tables.  It takes a village to pull this off but we did it!

 So that hits the high points for January.  February up next!!

Friday Favorites 1st 2015 Edition

Good morning sweet friends!  I'm currently at the beach with my mom, D's mom and two of her sisters.  We left Saturday morning and D had to go back to work on Wednesday. I'm so glad he came but I sure wish he could have stayed longer.   I am so thankful that I can work from wherever I am with a computer and internet!

This first week of 2015 has already proved to be quite an emotional roller coaster.  We expected part of it with the anniversary of D's dad's death and his birthday this week.   What we didn't expect I will share at the end of this post. 

A little car selfie as we were pulling out of the driveway Saturday morning.  I just love this.

My grandmother always said when she went to church that she was going to the "church house."  I was reminded Sunday morning that wherever you worship can be your "church house."  I just happen to love this one. 

Before D left we went on a movie date to see "A Night at the Museum."  We don't go to the movies very often but we had seen the other two in this series and really wanted to see the last on-screen performance of Robin Williams.   I was super sentimental about it because I am a huge Robin Williams fan.  The children and I watched "Mrs. Doubtfire" at least 50 times when they were little and it remains my favorite movie of his.  However, his "Aladdin" character (voice only) is one of my favorites, too.  Another one the children and I watched a zillion times. 

 

On January 1st, I began posting the most popular recipes from 2014 on the Cooking with Crevolyn blog.  (www.cookingwithcrevolyn.com) These are the recipes that got the most views as well as ones that I got the most feedback on.  Well, this particular one may have topped that list - Slow Cooker Heavenly Chocolate Dessert.  Y'all, it has 4 ingredients that you just dump in the slow cooker and in about 3 to 4 hours it's done. Trust me, you will want to make this.  Check it out here. 

 Okay, prepare yourself for this.   Monday was the anniversary of Poppa's death so we all woke up a little blue but were determined to make it a good day.    We were all telling stories, laughing, crying, and overall, just remembering a wonderful man in our own ways. 
D's aunt stepped out on the balcony at the house and took this photo with her iPad into the sunlight.  When she came back in and was looking through her photos, she gasped.  All she could do was hold this out for all of us to see.  Needless to say, we were speechless.  Look very carefully at the top of this photo.  And if you think there are not angels among us, you would be wrong...because this proves it.   I have never in my life been witness to such. God is so amazing.

Also on Monday, we got some very disturbing news.   One of G's closest friends from high school has gone missing.  He disappeared early Monday morning with no keys, cash, cell phone; nothing but the clothes he was wearing.  He lives near the Buford Dam area and search teams have gone out continuously since Monday.  G has been assisting with the search effort.  As you might guess, his parents are devastated and we are heartbroken for them.  Please, if you would, say a prayer for Kelly's safe return and the Nash family.

2014 Books

As you all know, I love books.  And I love to read.  So I set myself a goal for 2014 of 24 books read, in addition to my Bible reading.  We'll I'm happy to report, that as of 12/31/14 I read 38 books.  Yes, I do keep a list.   Now granted, when I'm at the beach/on vacation I read A LOT.   I've been known to read 4 or 5 books in a week so that kinda skews the average of 2 per month.  I read different kinds of topics by many authors.  I'm going to share with you a few of my favorite books from 2014. 

1.  The Bungalow by Sarah Jio.  This is the first time I've read any of her books.  But I will read more.  Loved this one.
2.  Bridge to Haven by Francine Rivers.  I love everything she writes.
3.  Rhinestone Jesus by Kristen Welch.  Her story of obedience is an inspiration. 
4.  The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin.  I loved this story of Anne Morrow Lindbergh.
5.  The Town that Came a'Courting by Ronda Rich.  I'd had never read this book by our local author.  When they movie came out in the Spring, I knew I wanted to read the book. 
6.  The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh.  This one was a little hard to get into at first but by the end, I was hooked.
7.  The Lavender Ribbon by Heather Burch. 
8.  I'm a big fan of Mary Kay Andrews, Dorothea Benton Frank, Karen White, Mary Alice Monroe and Adriana Trigiani.  Combined this year, I read 10 of their books. 


Okay, so that's some of what was on my list for 2014.  If any of you have a Kindle please look into Kindle Unlimited.  This is sort of like a library card for the Kindle.  You can "borrow" up to 10 books for free and once you read them, you "return" them.  It's great.  I'm constantly checking on my Kindle to see what titles they have added.  There is a big selection, not super recent titles, but still a decent selection by popular authors. 

Happy reading.  I already have my list of books ready for 2015.  Yes, I am a book nerd.  :)

January 2015

Hi All!

I thought I would share a few of things going on around here in January.  I'm off to the beach today with my mom, D, his mom and two of her sisters.  Over the course of the next few days, E and N will come down and so will G.  We'll kinda be in and out but that's okay.  We'll get to spend some quality time looking at the ocean and eating seafood. Thank you, Lord.  This has proved a good time for everyone to just relax and recharge after the holidays. 

So let's see what else is going on during January ...
1.  On the 15th I'm super excited to begin a new Bible study, "Live a Praying Life."  I've done this Bible study before but it's so good and I definitely need a refresher.  I'm really looking forward to seeing what God has for me during the course of this study.
2.  The evening of the 15th is the Governor's Inauguration at The Gwinnett Center.  We were fortunate enough to be able to attend the Inauguration 4 years ago and we wouldn't miss this one. Super excited.  Biggest dilemma ... what to wear.  Seriously, men just put on their tuxedo or black suit and boom, they're done.  Us girls, we have to chose a dress, shoes, jewelry, handbag, etc.  We have hair issues, makeup issues ... it's all a little overwhelming.  But I'ma gonna go nonetheless. 
3.  Over the MLK weekend, I'll head out for a little girlfriend getaway.  This is a much needed respite for one of our friends who has had a tough couple of months.  What better way to cheer someone up than to have a getaway with the girls?  Yep, I'm in.
4. On the 24th, we'll head up to New Beginnings to pamper the ladies there.  This is just such a blessing.  I love this day so much.  So thankful for our team and all of those who carve out time in their busy schedules to go and serve.
5.  On the 25th is the Gainesville Bridal Expo.  This is a huge day for us and lots of work.  But totally worth it.  We'll do a booth, Be Inspired Tables, host a fashion show and serve on a wedding professional panel discussion.  There is lots to be done. 
6.  Along with all of this, I'll write two columns for The Times, one article for the Good Samaritan newsletter and make up to 30 recipes. 

So that is what January looks like for me.  January typically is a sad month of us and we're glad when it's over.  D's dad died on the 5th; his birthday is on the 7th and my dad died on the 17th.  I try hard to honor their memory in all that I do.  They were two fine, fine men.  Two men that shaped me into the woman I am.  I am forever thankful that I was a part of both of their lives.

Christmas 2014

Hi all!  Thought I would share a few photos from Christmas.  We had a wonderful day full of family, good food and making memories.  To say that I adore all of these people is an understatement.  They are the wind beneath my wings.  Cliché maybe but they are.  My life is abundant of blessings because of them.  Yes, we have our challenges and heartbreaks sometimes but we are in it together.   I love them to the moon and back.

My precious momma ... 89 and going strong! 

My love.  G asked me what my favorite memory of 2014 was I said without a doubt celebrating 30 years of being married to this man. 

Oh my heart. 

E and N with Penny, of course!

Mimi with her grands. 

Nana with her grands ... and Lucy.

And D with the fur babies. 

E sent me this photo over the weekend.  They are the cutest. 

Sunday D and G went to the Falcons game.  Love this photo of my two favorite guys. 

That's a few photos from our Christmas (and a few days after).  What a wonderful season of celebration.  Looking forward to all that 2015 holds!

Happy 2015 and 2014 in Review!

Happy 2015! 

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come.  The old has gone, the new is here!
2 Corinthians 5:17

The beginning of the New Year holds so much hope.  Hope of new adventures, new opportunities, new friends, new travels, and new memories.   Every year on January 1st I think back to the previous year and all that it happened to mold my life.  

So allow me to look back on 2014 and the ride that it was!

January 2014:
* The year started off with our trip with D's mom to Destin.  Since D's Dad died, D's mom has spent the month of January at the beach.  She is kind enough to allow us to crash her party so we spent the first week of January in the sand, sun and cold.  As in, super cold.  We saw several of the condos around us that had pipes bursting. 
* Speaking of pipes bursting, E and N started their year with the first floor of their house flooded because of a burst pipe under their sink.  Because they were at work when it happened, the entire first floor was under water when they got home.  This was an extremely long process to replace everything but in the end, they came out with beautiful new hardwood flooring. 
* In January I began a new venture as a columnist for The Times.  Honestly, this scared me to death.  I definitely do not feel qualified to write for a newspaper.  Yes, I write a blog but that's just me and you talking.  This would require correct spelling, grammar and something of real substance to write about.  But I've had a blast doing it and I've received many positive comments from readers.  I'm so thankful for the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone.
* Also, the CwC Brand was given the opportunity to cater the Women's Retreat at First Baptist Church.  This was a wonderful time to reconnect with an old friend and fulfill a need for their Women's Ministry.
*  At the end of the month was the Annual Bridal Expo in Gainesville.  Wonderful Events is a sponsor of this event and it was a huge success.
*  It should be mentioned here that Snowpocalypse hit us the last few days of this month.  It was quite the nightmare for Atlanta which of course, made national news forever confirming the fact that we Georgians cannot function in 3 inches of snow.  All kidding aside, it was literally "a perfect storm" that created a major hardship for many, many people. 

E made the front page of the newspaper ...

February 2014
*  The first day of February found us down in Athens to see one of G's best friend's band play at The Melting Point.  G's friend has toured with this band for several years and it was a treat for us to finally get to hear them.
* Valentine's weekend D and I had a little getaway at The Dillard House.  This was just the best time.  So relaxing.  Beautiful weather.  Great food.  Loved it.
*  The following weekend, we saw Jennifer Nettles at The Fox.  It was fabulous, of course.  This was my Christmas gift from D.  Well played, my dear. 
*  This weekend was also an Intensive Weekend Bible Study at church.  This was a Friday night and Saturday full of solid Biblical teaching based on the book, "When Wallflowers Dance."  I didn't want it to end.  It was that good.

March 2014
*  The first week in March, D and I headed down to Cook's Warehouse in Decatur for a Big Green Egg cooking class.  This was one of my Christmas gifts to him and it was so much fun.  I so wish they would put one of these fabulous stores closer to us.  This store, full of cooking supplies, gadgets, and cookbooks is the happiest place on earth (or is that Disney World?  both are pretty amazing!)
*  Then our girl celebrated her 28th Birthday!! Woo Hoo!  Instead of our traditional celebration, we headed back down to the Melting Point in Athens for a concert with The Highballs and dinner.  E and I had worked a wedding with this band and knew that they were amazing.  It was a great evening of celebrating our girl! 

*  I was honored to speak at the Commerce Club this month.  I am a member of the Commerce Club so I was beyond nervous to speak to my peers.  It's really hard sometimes to get up in front of people that you know and are also so smart, accomplished, etc.   But they are just a super group of women and all went well.  It could have been because I brought these to share! 
*  The middle of the month we traveled to Illinois for the wedding of our dear friend's son.  These friends were both in our wedding 30 years ago and continue to be friends who are like family.  We had a great weekend catching up, seeing old friends and going back to the church where we were married.

*  On the 19th, E and I spoke to the Event Planning Class at Brenau.  This is always fun to speak to students.  They ask they most interesting questions. 

April 2014
*  The month started off  huge with one of our bride's getting married at the Chattahoochee Country Club.  The weather was beautiful and all was perfection!
*  We headed down to Athens for the G-Day game the second weekend.  So much fun to spend a beautiful spring day watching football.
*  I was honored to be included in the Live Auction portion of The Gateway House' Gala on the 18th.    Yes, I was a nervous wreck and hid behind the bar while they were doing my auction section.  Someone (thank you, Mary) felt an evening of me cooking was worthy of actual American dollars and for that I am thankful.
*    One of the sweetest, dearest girls I know got married on the 27th.  She and I go way back and I was beyond honored to be a part of her day.  Again, beautiful weather.  Wedding perfection.

May 2014
* The first week of May I spoke at the Challenged Child Ladies Auxiliary Luncheon.  All of the folks at Challenged Child are so dear and I had the best time.
*  And then ... we had probably the biggest, most complicated (in a good way), outdoor wedding of Wonderful Event's history.  It was lakeside with everything being brought to site (tents, generators, restrooms, etc.)  It was a logistical challenge but I must say, everything went off without a hitch.  Praise the Lord! 
*  Our son-in-law's birthday was the 15th and we loved celebrating him. 
*  The end of the month was huge for me in that my two very best friends from high school came to my house for a visit.  It was awesome.  We laughed until our sides were sore; talked about our adventures (our husbands had not heard most of those stories -!) and decided we just did not want this weekend to end.  We've decided that this needs to be an annual event.

June 2014
* On June 2, 1984, D and I were married.  So on June 1, 2014 we headed off to celebrate in Jamaica.  It was so relaxing and wonderful.  I'm so thankful I married you D.
(This is a really bad photo and not sure why it's like this but it's the best I've got of our week in paradise)

*  As soon as I landed back on American soil, I packed up for a girlfriend getaway to St. Simons.  I usually don't do back to back beach vacations but it just happened this way. I can honestly say that St. Simons has the best restaurants in the smallest area of any place I have ever seen.  There aren't a lot of chain restaurants just good (really good) locally owned eateries - I'm looking at you, Southern Soul and Barbara Jeans!

*  On the 21st, we were honored to be a part of a beautiful wedding at Ashford Manor in Watkinsville.  We had done the wedding of the older sister several years ago and as soon as this sister got engaged, their momma called us.  It was just so fun to be a part of their family again.  Again, outdoor wedding with perfect weather!

July 2014
July was a hard month ...
*  On the 4th, when we were in Atlanta for E, D and N to run the Peachtree Road Race, D's mom fell in the hotel and broke her ankle.   This has been a long road to recovery for her but she's making progress.
*  We went ahead and went to the Georgia Food Industry Convention in mid-July in Amelia Island.  This was a hard decision to leave D's mom but his sister stepped in (along with a host of other folks) and we went on.   The Plantation has a major renovation and is just beautiful  I highly recommend it.

 
*  On Tuesday, July 15th, we received a phone call that our good friend's son, who had been battling brain cancer the past 2 years, had been rushed to the hospital.   This strong, handsome, 18 year old football-playing young man was going to be with Jesus on this day.  Our hearts were, and still are, broken.  Over the past six months, his family has began an incredible ministry, Thumbs Up Mission, in his memory.  I'll be sharing more about this very soon.
*  Later in the month, Mother and I went on a little road trip.  And let me just say, we had the best time.  We stayed in a condo at St. Simons and I wish I had taken a photo of my then 88-year old momma in her swimsuit, floppy hat and flip-flops.  It. was. priceless.

A little road trip selfie in the car ...

August 2014
*  In August, we were back in full event-planning swing beginning the month with a surprise birthday party for a dear friend's sister-in-law.  Oh my goodness, at the fun we had with this.  And the birthday girl really was surprised! 
*  On the 10th, we celebrated Mother's 89th Birthday!  She is just doing great and for that I am beyond thankful!
*  On the 16th, we were in full wedding mode with a beautiful wedding right here in Gainesville, at our home church in fact.  It was a fairy tale wedding with lots of bling and everything white and sparkly.  I loved every minute of it.  (except the balloons we had to put lights in... talk to me before you decide to do lit balloons. We would have never made it without my dear friend's husband and daughter to the rescue - ha!)

*  D and I took D's mom on a little vacation the end of August.  She was about stir-crazy from staying in so we took her for some fresh air and sunshine.   However, we had to be back on August 30th for the kick-off with the Dawgs and Clemson!  For the first time ever, we had season tickets and couldn't have enjoyed it more.

September 2014
*  The first weekend in September, we headed out just for a little weekend excursion.  It was great to connect with some old friends and take a breather before a super busy fall.
*  On the 13th I went with some great friends to Blackshear Place church for Beth Moore's simulcast.  To say this was life-changing for me sounds over-dramatic but honestly, it truly was.  God spoke straight to my core that day. 
My heart friends ...

*  On the 20th, we had the best time with one of the sweetest bride's ever.  Again, this was a hometown wedding and it was gorgeous.   This bride was so in the details - every little things was so sweet and so "her."
*  We had our dear friends from Illinois (the ones that we went to their son's wedding in March) come for a visit the 3rd week of the month.  It was so fun to have them here.  We loved catching up with them.  We trekked all over North Georgia and even up to Highlands with them.  So much fun.
* While our friends were here, I had already committed to speak to our Golden Nuggets group at church so they just came along.    It was just the best time.  And you know what? when you speak to the Golden Nuggets you get to eat lunch with them and they bring all of their best dishes.  There was some fried okra there that melted in your mouth.  Oh mercy.
*  The 27th was my sweet husband's birthday and we celebrated by going to a family wedding. Our little family celebrated him later with a birthday supper, cake and well, a candle. A big candle.

October 2014
*  The first weekend was full of beauty and fun as I was honored to be a part of a long-time special friend's daughter's wedding.  Again, it was an outdoor wedding and God blessed us with amazing weather.  It was such a special time and I loved every minute of it.
*  On the 10th, our boy turned 25.  I should have mentioned that we got a job back in August working for the Georgia Republican Party as a Field Representative.  This was a non-stop 24/7 job until the election.  So finding a time to celebrate him was a challenge.  We ended up going to church and then to O-Charley's brunch.  It certainly wasn't our normal birthday blow-out but it was the best we could do. 
*  The big news for October was that we opened a 4th grocery store in Blue Ridge.  D spent the last half of the month up there.  We were blessed with the generosity of some dear friends who let us stay at their beautiful home and enjoy a few glorious fall days in the North Georgia mountains.
I could have put in a photo of the store but this is much prettier.

* I stayed in Athens the last weekend for the wedding of another dear friend's daughter. This wedding was a stunner.   The ceremony and reception were held at The Foundry Inn.   So beautiful, elegant and classic.

November 2014
* The elections results were in on the 4th  and G's party won on all accounts with no run-off.  So he had officially finished his assignment.  Or so he thought. What was ahead of him was a month-long stint in Lafayette, Louisiana working for the run-off candidate there.  This was quite an experience for sure.   Again, his party's candidate won.
* The first weekend in November we stayed in Amelia and then went to Jacksonville for the Georgia/Florida game.  We had a great time.

* The following weekend we headed to Callaway Gardens for a little getaway for me anyway.  D had to "work" doing board stuff for the Georgia Food Industry.  I enjoyed it immensely.
* Mother and I attended our dear friend's son's wedding (the same friend whose daughter married in October) on the edge of a river in Hiawassee on the 22nd.  Yet again, God granted beautiful weather for their outdoor ceremony.
* On the Sundays before and after Thanksgiving, we hosted family gatherings at the Farm.  What a wonderful time we had with everyone.  Truly a special time for all of us.
*  Thanksgiving was a laid-back time of eating and watching football.  We went to D's mom's and enjoyed the day.

December 2014
*  The official Grand Opening for the Blue Ridge store was December 3rd.  We had a catering event that day so I couldn't attend.  But thankful for the ways God gives us to serve.
*  D and I went to the SEC Championship Game at the Dome on the 6th.  We cheered for Alabama and they won.  Maybe the first time I've ever yelled "Roll Tide!"
*  We picked up G at the airport the following morning as he was returned from Louisiana. It was so good to have him home.
*  December was overall laid back for us.  We attended our Church's Christmas Program and the John Berry concert.  I, along with several other ladies, made our way up to New Beginnings to celebrate with them.  What a blessing they are. 
* On the 19th we headed to Tennessee to visit with D's sister and her family.  This was a great time to catch up and celebrate with them. 
* Christmas Day found us staying close to home surrounded by those we love.  I wouldn't have it any other way. 

So that's it for 2014!
Wow - I look at this list and can't believe all that happened in 365 days.  That doesn't count that this was all mixed with lots of cooking for Cooking with Crevolyn; about a half a dozen wedding and baby showers; weekly prayer and Bible study meetings; monthly Supper Club dinners; monthly Birthday Club get-togethers; sporting events (mainly football);  dog pregnancies/C-sections/hysterectomies/lots of dog love; lunches/shopping with dear friends; quarterly trips to New Beginnings; and overall, so many blessings.  This year has been full of much fun, joy and sorrow.  But I guess that's the way of life.  I am so thankful for our health and all God has given us.   He is so good.  So very good.