These are a few of my favorite things...

You can learn a little about me by knowing some of my favorite things...

Memphis Greenline!
Tyler and I really enjoy the 6 plus miles of the greenline that begin not too far from our house and ends at Shelby Farms. It was a rail to trail program that utilized unused rail lines to create a direct, paved trail system. When on the greenline, you forget that you are actually in the city. Any given day, you will see cyclists, runners, walkers, pets, families, and many of God's other creations along the line. Belle loves the greenline, too!

Skinny Cow Ice Cream Cakes

I just ate one that was Aldi's brand.  Ok. That's all I have time for now.  To be added to soon!

Weekend In Review; Memorial Day Edition

This weekend was jam-packed full of family activities...

Thursday: Stephanie's Pharmacy graduation hooding ceremony followed by BBQ with family a mi casa.

Friday: Stephanie's graduation. I skipped out on the event due to work, but I was able to meet up with her, my parents, and brother for dinner at Pearl's Oyster House. From the restaurant, we were able to gaze out onto South Main, as crazy characters paraded down the street for Zombie Massacre. It was a sight to see as I enjoyed my shrimp and dirty grits- Pearl style.
After dinner, Stephanie and I checked out the South Main Trolly Night for a while.

Tyler was not with us this weekend because it is his family tradition to go to Indiana for the Indy 500 on Memorial Day Weekend. Both sets of grandparents live in Indiana, so they always make the trip. I usually go, too, but I had preplanned events due to my sis's graduation.

Saturday:
I had a hard but decent run followed by blueberry-covered whole grain pancakes before heading to Jackson with Stephanie and Matt, her boyfriend. That is, after Belle got in a scuffle with Missy, Matt's dog, sending Missy to the emergency vet with deep scratches on her face. Missy will be alright, and Belle apologized for the incident.
In Jackson, my parents hosted a very nice indoor/outdoor cookout for all the family that could make it. Even my grandmother's sister, Wilma, made it from Mountain Home, AR. It was nice to see everyone all at once. Did I mention the desserts? Chocolate Lava cake, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and pineapple cake - all homemade! I should have taken pictures this weekend, but I totally forgot. The taste was worth 1000 words, trust me.

Sunday:
To the lake house with my parents, sister, brother, and Matt (plus 3 dogs). We took a boat ride, grilled kabobs, and made a bonfire. Low key but relaxing.

Monday:
Belle insisted that I get up at 7:30 on the dot, so I took her out and grabbed my pink fishing poll for luck at the water's edge. My dad was already out on the water with his poll, so he picked us up for about an hour of no bites. We did get some sun :) and were able to just enjoy the lake's peacefulness. After breakfast, we all headed back on the boat for a short ride until my half brother and his family arrived. Chris, Michelle, Chase (7), Charlie (6), and Carlie (1.5) hopped on the boat when they arrived. I apologize for no pictures of my adorable nephews and niece, but I will get one soon! We rode around the TV River and ate a late lunch back at the house before Stephanie, Matt, and I had to head back to Memphis.

I'll have to give Tyler the opportunity to share a story or 2 about the Indy trip. If he wishes, I'll share them with you!

Is there a Doctor in the House?

I am proud to announce that there is now a doctor in our family! My sister, Stephanie, has finished pharmacy this month. Hooray! She is now "Dr. Stephanie" with a Pharm. D. Her hooding ceremony was today. After the ceremony, we had family over to my house for Central BBQ and a yummy fruit trifle. I altered the recipe by using sugar-free pudding mix and low fat CoolWhip.


Stephanie as she crosses the stage for hooding.

The grandparents! Papa Max, Rubye, Mammaw Shirley, and Sam

Momma, Daddy, Stephanie, Payton, and me.

Delicious spread!

Can't leave out our daughter...

Weekend In Review; May 20 - 22 Edition

Friday:
After a week of work, we were off to the river! My family has a lake house in the Perryville, TN area. We rode with my sister and brother (Stephanie and Payton) up to the river, where we met my parents and much anticipated fried catfish. It was late by the time we ate, so our evening was wrapped up with some tv and then to bed.

Oh, how did I forget to mention... The Bryant (my maiden name) family suffered a great loss today. My parents' cocker spaniel - Fred AKA Freddie- suffered lethal injuries in a car accident today. My dad was able to hold him for his final breath, but he was not able to hold on to life. We are all deeply saddened by Freddie's death. For anyone that has ever lost a dear pet, you know how emotional it can be. Please pray for my parents as they overcome this loss.

Saturday:
Work day. Seriously, I worked from about 9:30 this morning til at least 6:00 this evening on the exterior of the lake house. We had lots of debris to remove, hedges to trim, leaf removal around the house, rooms to dust, vacuum, and just overall cleanup. Usually a river weekend is complete with fun, family, food, and relaxation. We had 3 of the 4, at least. We did get a 30 minute fishing boat ride in the mix of the day, but no fishing poles involved. I have a new-found respect for my parents that usually clean the entire house and yard themselves.
We wrapped up Saturday with hamburgers and then a trip to the local Dairy Bar for ice-cream!

Sunday:
Back to Memphis. Tyler wasted no time getting back to work on our half bath. Payton was here to help as well. For dinner, a ready made refrigerated pizza from Aldis. It wasn't delivery quality, but lots cheaper for the size. I finally did some ironing that I have neglected for far too long. Now ready for a new work week.

Weekend In Review; May 13 - 15 Edition

This weekend looked like it was going to be a free, lazy weekend for the both of us. Of course I was wrong. Here are our adventures:

Friday:
Ate ate Bayou with Sarah, Lindsey, Nick, and Joe. The Grizz were playing game 6 in the play-offs in Memphis. After half-time, we headed back to the house to wrap up the game and see the Grizzlies tie up the play-off score of 3 to 3.

Saturday:
I had to work, but got out at 11:30, the earliest I have ever gotten out on a Saturday:) I intended to ride my bike to BBQ fest, but never ended up getting around to that due to some major cleaning that my house needed. After spending some quality time with my mop and dust rag, we went to one of Tyler's co-worker's going away party. Cecilia Ho, the honored guest at the party, will be moving on to be over IPAD. No, that's not a cross between iPod and ThinkPad, it stands for International Paper Asia Division, in Shanghai.
After the party, we came home to watch Raiders of the Lost Ark - which was good until I fell asleep, as usual.

Sunday:
Didn't make it to church but did walk to Brother Juniper's for a delicious brunch. You can never go wrong there unless you are in a hurry. Next was some needed errand running. Belle and I visited Walgreens, the tanning bed (don't hate), Aldi's, and Kroger, with a Greenline walk thrown in there, too.
That night, we overbooked our events:
1. Desperate Housewives 2 hour season finale (which is TiVo'd and awaiting my view).
2. Kerry and Abby invited Henry and Anna Leigh and us to have some AMAZINGLY marinated and grilled to perfection steaks.
3. Joe and Sarah had a backyard get-together complete with a moon bounce, grilled stuff, and yummy salsa n chips.
We were able to make it to both shindigs, as we did not eat at the Moske's throw-down.

The weekend went way too fast, and I was neither prepared or well-rested for another full work week come Monday morning. Despite being tired, we are grateful to have friends that open their hearts to us.

Oh, almost forgot to mention that Tyler has been doing back-breaking work on our half bath. The tile is laid now, so our sink and toilet will be installed. Pictures will follow soon once all of the bells and whistles are added!

Plan -ahead Sunday

Sunday:

Brunch at Brother Juniper's. The absolute best b-fast in Memphis (or maybe anywhere). The this is what Tyler ate. It's "Mamma's Special," topped with smoked salmon. I got eggs scrambled with spinach, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, mozzarella, and pesto (on the side). You can't go wrong with breakfast here.
Dinner at Kerry and Abby's followed by some fun at Joe and Sarah's, both within walking distance:)

Monday:
Lunch boxes made from left over salsa made for Sunday night's festivities and a "quesadillas" (tortillas, shredded cheese, spinach, and turkey lunch meat).
Bodypump night: I'm going to try a bagged frozen meal from Aldi's. It is a General Tso's chicken, veggies, and rice all-in-one thing.

Tuesday:
Sauteed chicken tenders, mac'n'cheese, and spinach!

Wednesday:
Kickball night; Salmon filet, brown rice, and veggie stir fry.

Thursday:
Tyler will most likely try his luck with his new meat grinder attachment to the Kitchen-Aid mixer. Burgers tonight!

Friday:
May 20th is National Bike to Work Day for Memphis. I'm gonna try my luck at biking to work today if weather permits. It will involve getting on the Greenline, getting off at either Sycamore View, and going to my clinic at the corner of Sycamore View and Macon. Fortunately, I'm not the only one crazy enough to try this at work. One other employee will be participating with me.
We plan to go to Jackson or the river and spend time with my side of the family. My mom is slowly recuperating from her surgeries, and this weekend will be the first in a long time that my sister, brother, and both parents are in the same 300 mile radius!

Saturday:
Jackson or the river... either sounds good to me:)

Sunday:
Back to Memphis. Our friends, the Moskes, have invited us over for a themed dinner. I have no idea what theme, but Sarah is always so festive, so it should definitely be fun with great food!

100 Year Flood

For all of those that do not live in Memphis, you should know that the vast majority of us are A- OK. However, those that live in low-lying areas close to rivers and tributaries are still facing the deep, slowly receding waters. My house and neighborhood are not close to the danger zones.

This is a before and after shot of part of Mud Island's Park.

Beale Street where the trolly line crosses before Riverfront Drive. This is higher ground than the area that usually hosts Memphis in May BBQ fest, which has been moved to close to my neighborhood. The water is WAAAYYYY beyond its normal boundaries.

If you are able and feel lead, you can donate to the Midsouth Chapter of the American Red Cross.

Or, you can represent the Midsouth by getting a cool t-shirt from My Shirt Helps. I think I'll be getting this one! All profits go to restoration efforts of weather and flood destroyed areas.

My Mom

My mom had a really cruddy day at Vandy today. She vomited each time she tried to take liquids. Please pray that she will feel better soon and that the doctors are able to help her. My dad and Stephanie were there for Mother's day evening and today, but are now back in Jackson. It makes me sad that nobody is there with her now. Not even TCBY helps me feel better:(

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Happy Mother's Day to all of the mommys that make the world go round. Pictured here are my most important mothers. From left to right: my Momma, Mrs. Kris (my mother-in-law), Mammaw (my grandmother), and Rubye (my "grandmother"). Missing is my dad's mother. Mama BB - we know you are here in spirit. This picture was taken at one of my wedding showers 2 years ago. I'm fortunate to have them all in the same photo!

For everyone that has lost a mother, may the Lord be with you and comfort you today and everyday that you need that special thought, hug, and touch. You never realize how valuable a mom is until she is not able to be there for you. I have definitely found a new respect for those that have lost their mommies through my mom's illness. I am so blessed to have my mom, mother-in-law, and grandmothers. When I am a mother one day, I hope to be like them to my children.

Plan -ahead Sunday

Maybe this week will work better to meal planning. Let's try:

Sunday:
Not sure what we will do for dinner, but it may be a spaghetti night! Neither of us get tired of spaghetti for some reason.

Monday:
Body Pump night... we will do crock pot sloppy joes and leftover asian slaw.

Tuesday:
Bunco night at Tabitha's! She is a great cook, so I will be treated to something delicious. Tyler will have leftovers or fend for himself.

Wednesday:
4x4 dinner group from our Sunday School class will be meeting at Jimmy's Hot Dogs in Cordova. If you know me, you know that I do not eat hot dogs, but they apparently have crazy Chicago-style pizza. So good and deep that you have to order it 1 hour before you want to get it there.

Thursday:
I am taking dinner to the Mullady's at our church. I'll be using the Mike Wolfe chicken soup recipe to make the soup for them and us. Along side of the soup will be cornbread muffins and either salad or dessert.

Friday:
Hmm...not sure. Either dining out or something simple here. I will be working on Saturday, so Friday night will most likely be low key.

I wonder how well we will stick to this schedule. Bon Appetite!

Weekend Update

Wednesday
While my mom was at Vanderbilt Hospital, I was able to spend the night with my dear friend Jessica. She works in the music industry, so we were able to go see a dress rehearsal of a soon-to-tour country singer named Chase Rice. Chase is also known for his presence on Survivor, where he was the runner-up to the season’s winner.
I think I was the shortest person at the concert…

Thursday
I came back Thursday evening from Vandy and met up with my twinkie, Stephanie, and her bf, Matt, for Cinco de Mayo. Stephanie had just gotten back from a lengthy trip in Europe. Yay for her safe return!

Friday
Sometimes it is just more fun to do things on the spur of the moment. We had no plans for this weekend other than some household things that need to get done. Our friends Sarah and Joe also did not have plans, so we decided to go to Bhan Thai. How yummy!!! I ate a chicken garlic and veggie dish mixed with rice, but I wish I ordered what Tyler had – a delicious Thai noodle, chicken, and broccoli dish. Now I want to figure out how to make those noodles with the wok that we never use.

Saturday
Running day! I checked out the Cooper Young Farmer’s Market on the route. Should have gone back but it started raining when my run ended. Tyler and I ran several errands including an extended visit to Lowe’s for stuff to grout and tile our ½ bath. While I was killing time at Lowe’s, I decided to take my poorly practiced green thumb to the next level… So I now have a miniature herb garden consisting of oregano, sweet basil, rosemary, and cilantro! This is in addition to my tomato plan, 2 petunias, and dying pansies.

Go Grizz! Joe and Stephanie were at our house during the game! Between the 4 of us, my homemade guacamole lasted maybe 30 minutes. Will definitely make it again! If the Grizzlies keep up their good postseason status, looks like we may have more party food to go along with the games.

Stephanie and Matt joined us for dinner. Tyler and I had picked out meat from Charlie’s Meat Market. We also had a delicious asian slaw (see recipe below) and ciabatta bread. No room was left for dessert, a good thing and bad thing at the same time:)

Asian Slaw:
* 1 packages beef flavored ramen noodles
* 1/3 cup vegetable oil
* 1/2 cup sugar or Splenda equivalent (I used Splenda)
* 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
* 1 (16 ounce) package shredded coleslaw mix
1/2 cup sliced almonds (2.25oz package)

Directions
1. Place noodles in a bowl of warm water and soak for 15 minutes or until soft.
2. Whisk together the oil, sugar, vinegar and seasoning packs.
3. Drain the noodles and combine in a large bowl with the coleslaw and almonds.
4. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat evenly. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.

I should have added green onions but didn't. It would be good either way.

My Mom's Surgery - Keep Updated and Keep Praying

6:11 AM
My mom, dad, and I were off to an early start - getting up around 2:30am to get on the road in time for her 6:00am check-in time at Vanderbilt. Momma (that's what I call her) was in good spirits this morning despite her hunger and thirst. She was on a clean liquids diet yesterday and had to cease all fluids by 8:00pm last night in order for her 8:00am surgery today. I am in the waiting in the lobby as my mom and dad (her 1 allowed guest) were just taken to the surgery prep area. Daddy will be returning to the waiting room prior to the beginning of surgery. It's early, but the waiting room is a happenin' place of folks young and old - all here to support someone that is dear to them.
I will be updating this blog post as I receive any info. Please feel free to check in as the day goes by for my mom's most up-to-date status. Thank you for you prayers!

9:42AM
Momma was completely prepped for surgery and taken back at approx 8:15am. She has an epidural pump that can be used for up to 5 days, an IV for other needed pain meds, and and IV for fluids. Her surgery will begin by taking out her peritoneal cholecystostomy (gallbladder drainage bag), then will connect her pseudocyst and stomach via a hole to suction the fluid in the cyst (I assume this is like a fistula for you medical-minded people), and finally they wil remove her gallbladder. The gallbladder has some scar tissue, so it will be a bit more invasive than a traditional cholecystectomy. The surgeons were most concerned regarding the gallbladder removal than the other portions of surgery.
Terry and Phyllis Presson from NUMC are here with us. We are so grateful for your prayers!

11:41AM
Mom is out of surgery! We are not able to visit in the recovery unit yet, but hope to see her soon. They suctioned 500cc of fluid from the pseudocyst (yikes - that's 1/2 a liter!). The gallbladder was a little tricky. The surgeon told my dad on the phone that they placed a drainage for something related to the removed gallbladder. I'll find out more about that when I see her or her MDs. Not sure on the extent of the actual surgical cut, but I'm interested to see how large it was. Looks like she is going to be alright after recovery from the surgery! Stay tuned for further updates!

2:55PM
The patient is resting in her hospital room! As mentioned earlier, surgery went well. She has a JP drain to drain some excess fluid from the gallbladder-free portion of her abdominal cavity. She also has an NG tube to suction, so no PO intake for at least another day or so. Sorry for the jargon... she has a tube running through her nose to her stomach to suction any residual drainage. She also has a pain pump that connects to the epidural, so she can control her pain meds. Supposedly she should get 1 or 2 pints of blood today. Continue the prayers as they are working!

9:51AM
Momma did not sleep well last night. I don't blame her as she just had a major surgery AND they added a 2nd occupant to her hospital room yesterday evening. Who wants to share a hospital room at this day and age? Her suctions are doing well. She is still receiving sliding scale insulin for her BG. This AM it was in the 180's, last night, in the 160s. Daddy and I will be heading back to Jackson this afternoon sometime. We hope to see the surgeon or attending physician before we leave. Payton has his last exam at 10:30am today, so he should be stopping by the hospital after that.
Praises to the Lord for good progress!

Plan -ahead Sunday

One of my good friends, Sarah Moske, has a fabulous idea.  She posts her menu and weekly plan ahead on her blog.  I assume that it helps keep her (and her hubby, Joe) accountable for what is going on that week, plus it helps her know what groceries she needs for the week.  So, here goes my attempt at organization.

Sunday:

Upps!  Missed church due to bad weather! In place, we will be shopping for a new sink, grocery shopping, and a mess of other household jobs that need to get done.

For dinner: tuna and black bean salad

Monday: BodyPump class followed by Chicken Broccoli Casserole served with brown rice (Momma's recipe)

Tuesday:  Not sure, I'll be heading to Jackson to go with my parents for my mom's surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center on Wednesday morning.  Tyler will most likely have leftovers (or Krystal's, knowing him).

Wednesday: Momma's surgery... Will keep yall updated on her status via my blog. Tyler has kick-ball if it is not rained out for the 3rd week in a row.

Thursday: I'll still be gone still in Nashville.  Tyler will fend for himself again.

Friday: Not sure if I'll be back.  If so, maybe sushi or pizza.

Saturday: Not sure if I'll be back... Ok this was a bad week to test drive this Plan-ahead Sunday due to my travels.  Will try again next week:)