decisions, decisions, decisions...

Well it looks like i fell through with my promise on keeping my blog updated... it looks as though another month and half have past without me blogging! My goodness, time flies when you're busy. Let me catch you up on a couple of things...
As many of you already know, Brain and I moved back down to Texas in January after living in NY for 6 months because of a job in San Antonio. We were excited for the opportunity and we were happy to see our old friends. This job presented many opportunities. It was however a temporary government position at Lackland AFB. We knew it wasnt permanent but knew more opportunities would arise from it. His contract was with the army for 1 yr 1day... this would put us at Feb 2011, and the job could possibly extend. Well last week the army called in the 16 guys that were under contract and told them that not only was the army not extending their contract past Feb, but they were getting laid off in Sept 2010 due to lack of funding on the governments behave. So needless to say, it's been a whirlwind of emotion. I think we were both in shock to think in 2 months Brian would be jobless. We were thinking how were we going to pay for our house, cars, food, etc... it's a scary feeling not knowing. Brain immediately started looking for jobs... he thought about possibly doing private contracting and go to Iraq or Afghanistan. He also thought about moving back to NY.... well God was on our side and an amazing job opportunity presented itself for a position in North Carolina. Yes, i know this means completely uprooting our life and moving yet again (this will be 3 times in less than a year.) Sometimes in life you have to take chances, and with the economy the way it is, we have to take this chance. Well there is a small detail that goes along with the job, but we aren't for sure about it yet. We have to iron everything out first before we are willing to share it with everyone. All i know and pray is that God guides and protects us on this journey. I hope this new job is as great as ever. I hope the area is beautiful and the people are amazing. I just want to be settled already and not moving every 6 months.
With this move, I would have to uproot everything I have in San Antonio as well. I would have to leave my job, my school, my friends, and most of all my family in houston. I know I will be able to find a new job and school but it's hard losing the friends and family that have been through so much with us. It's just so bittersweet. We are exciting and are embracing the new journey we will be embarking on but not without sadness. Just keep us in your prayers that everything works out the way it's supposed to.
There are lots of decisions that must be made and must be made fast.... I will keep yall updated. We should know exact dates hopefully within the week, along with all the details.

April Showers, Bring May Flowers

Our new place has an amazing patio/Terrace you walk through before you get into our apt. Well it has been plain jane boring since we've moved in. Well B and i thought it's about time we plant some flowers and just "spruce" it up a bit! We finally bought a new patio set, and it definitely made it look "somewhat" better out there.... but it just didn't "POP" like i wanted it. So, B and i went to the nursery to buy flowers and plants. The only problem... our patio does not get ANY direct sunlight. We face North and the sun just goes over us.... so that presented a tad bit of a problem when it came to our selection of plants and flowers. It was so frustrating because all the pretty flowering plants need SUN... Ha go figure! Well after much contemplation, we settled on geraniums, impatiens, caladiums, and ferns.

We bought all the pots, dirt, watering cans, plant food, the whole shabam... well silly me, forgot that our railings are a little odd and the hanging planters would not fit. darn! Thankfully, Brian is mr handy man and figured out how to make it work! (After an entire container of zip ties later...)

The plants are planted, the flowers are watered, we have our patio set in place... BUT it just didn't seem complete to me! Well I love to shop and I found the little something "extra" our patio needed... I wasnt too sure how B would react with my little "completion" items, but I bought them anyways! So here is our Patio now... I am in LOVE with it now!! Impatiens

Geranium

Fern Caladiums

^--My little "Stacy-Touch!" hehe...

and B actually loved the animal print too!

yay! I think it totally just made our patio!! love it!

New toys and a whole month has passed!

So, it's Mid-may and I haven't written in over a month! I know crazy, right?! Well, B and I have just been busy busy busy. Work is going great. Brian just got a new truck. Crazy to think he actually parted with his beloved yellow jeep wrangler, but he DID! The jeep just wasnt practical, nor was it comfortable to ride in. He got a 2010 Black F150 Raptor. I even love it! I still haven't mastered driving it yet, but it will come one day! lol. Brian also recently purchased his first gun. ahh. Let's just say, I am still not fond of having a weapon in our house, but I trust all the training B has and I just hope the gun stays in it's little plasic box unless it's at the range. hehe.

The boys are doing great! Sad that we are constantly working, but they have adjusted well! We took them to play in the blue bonnetts and they had a ball! Here is a pic of them!

Hope everyone has had an amazing month! I promise to try and keep our blog more updated!! :)

There is a Season for all things...

In the bible it's say "To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under Heaven."
(Eccl 3:1-8)

This scripture has truly weighed heavily on my heart the last couple of weeks. I'm not sure if you all know about my dear friend and her story with her precious little girl, Alyssa. Last year, August 30, 2009, she gave birth to a little miracle baby at 27 weeks. Alyssa weighed 1.1 lb and was 8 in long. She was born with trisomy 21 (down syndrome), and she was just perfect and beautiful in every way. She was with us for 11 days before going to Heaven to be with our Lord Jesus. It was so hard for anyone to understand. We kept putting our faith in the Lord, knowing HE has the plan. Danielle is one of the most amazing people i know, and it broke my heart to see her so broken. Well, she found out she was pregnant in February, and we couldn't be more excited. She went in for a routine ultrasound and found out she was having Twins... well that following weekend, Jesus, had a different plan. He called the tiny babies to heaven to be with their sister and play in God's beautiful Garden. Again, it's so hard to understand why. After so much, why did Danielle and Jamie have to endure even more? I was angry and heartbroken for my bestfriend. But, she- out of all people, pointed out to me that God knows what He is doing and He will do what is Best. She finds comfort knowing Alyssa is now in the presence of her siblings in God's loving arms. Just please keep them in your prayers. They are amazing and deserve every happiness in world.

Not even a week later, another one of my friends found out she lost her baby as well. She too went in for an ultrasound but there was no longer a heartbeat. It truly makes you question why things happen the way they do. But, you have to know that God is in control and although His plan might not be clear now, one day it will. We must trust in the Lord.

I was listening to KLOVE, which is a Christian music station here in San Antonio, today. They were talking about the importance of Easter. As we know the importance of Good Friday and of course, Easter Sunday, we rarely talk about the Saturday in between. They were talking about how Saturday is just as important because it was the day that everyone prayed for Jesus. No one knew what was going happen, they were just left to wonder, hope, and Trust in God that Jesus would be resurrected.

A lot of people are in a "Saturday." Meaning, they are waiting for God to make something happen. For God to speak, For God to make things clear. Although, we may not understand why things happen the way they do, we must TRUST in our Lord! He will make things happen the way they are supposed to. As faithful servants we must abide by and live by His word knowing all things are possible with HIM!

Please continue to pray for Danielle, Jamie, Ben and Taylor. God has a plan and I pray they find the comfort in thy loving arms of our one and only, Jesus Christ. *Much love*


Love this song... I highly recommend listening to it, if you haven't heard it before!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"My Redeemer Lives" Nicole Mullens
Who taught the sun where to stand in the mornings?
And who told the ocean you can only come this far?
And who showed the moon where to hide till evening?
Whose words alone can catch a falling star?

Well I know my redeemer lives
I know my redeemer lives
With all of creation testifies
This life within me cries
I know my redeemer lives!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


*If you would like to read more about Baby Alyssa's story, http://preggoeggorford.blogspot.com/

*The foundation that is in the works in Alyssa's Memory, http://holdmyheartfoundation.blogspot.com

*Video of Alyssa, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lr4J_GM-DSU

Wishful Wednesdays!

Check out Kelsey's blog! It's absolutely adorable!!

This weeks wishful wednesday is...

"I wish... I could wear/could have worn ___ dress on my wedding day"

(single/or married can play!)

I love lace, bows and anything with frills! These are definitely some of my favorites! Although, I am sure when I actually get married my taste will be completely different! lol

Flowergirl

Bridesmaid

Top 2 Tuesdays!

Top 2 Tuesdays!

Names!!

Congrats to Taylor and Ben on the new little addition due to arrive 10-10-10! (And Tay, I totally dont think that's a weird date haha! Kinda awesome actually!)

1. Girl- Which I better have a girl bc heaven help me with a boy... lol! He will be decked out in pink and lace! Just ask my boy dog! lol

As for names... Brian and I both love the name Emma Faith. It doesn't have any family meaning, it's just adorable in my opinion. My second choice is Elizabeth Grace, but Brian is not a fan! lol

2. Boy- Brian and I both like Logan Mattew or Brian likes Logan Michael... but I refuse to ever have a kid named (Logan )Michael Jordan... lol. My favorite favorite boys name is Jacob Christopher or Jacob William. Christopher is a strong name in B's fam, and William has a strong family history in my family.

But, Kids are definitely far far far in the future but it's still fun to think about! hehe ;)

Girl

Emma Faith

Elizabeth Grace

Boy

Logan Matthew

Jacob Christopher

New job, Training, and Recipes!

This week has been crazy crazy busy! I started training on monday for my new job! yay! Buuut... boy am I beat! I am on a computer for 5 hrs straight of web based training, then I have an additional 4 hrs of in class training. I am on massive information overload! It's fun though! I also have my school work I have to keep up with as well. I am having to miss these two weeks of class for training, but life is about sacrifices. I am so fortunate to have wonderful Professors that are understanding as well! I am truly blessed!

I feel so bad for our poor pooches! They are in their cages all day, till brian gets home at 330! =(

Brian just started his online classes to finish his Bachelors degree. From the moment he gets home from work, he is on the computer doing his school work. We are both busy busy. I know all of the sacrifices we make now will pay off in the future. It definitely is exhausting with both of us working full time and going to school full time. It's the moments like this that make you feel so fortunate to have eachother and to have the love of our Heavenly Father knowing our life is taking shape. I just hope our doggies understand! lol! You know it's bad when they hear my high heels clink on the floor and they run to their cages because they know I'm about to leave for work. lol They still love us! I guess we will just have to make it up to them by taking them to the dog park every weekend! haha!

With us being so busy with work and school, we are scrambling to have dinner on the table at a decent time. I get off at 5 pm everyday and by the time I get home it's roughly 530 so it's a race against the clock to have dinner ready by 6-630. If anyone has any fast and yummy recipes PLEASE SHARE! I'm running out of recipes... ah! lol

Here are some more recipes from my cookbook! Feel free to try them out!! :)

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Homemade Lasagna

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1 package Lasagna noodles

1 lb hamburger meat

2 jars spaghetti sauce (I use Prego Meat)

1/2 pint ricotta

1/2 pint cottage

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

grated parm cheese (Kraft)

Cook Lasagna noodles according to package. Drain and rinse with cold water. While noodles are cooking, brown hamburger meat in pan. Drain excess grease and add 1 jar spaghetti sauce. Stir to mix. Combine ricotta and cottage cheese together in bowl. In a 9x13 pan, pour 1/3 jar of spaghetti sauce on bottom of pan to cover. Layer: noodles (approx 3) to cover bottom, top with hamburger mixture, spoon about 4 tablespoons of ricotta mixture and spread flat. Sprinkle mozzarella and parm chesse on top. Continue this layering process until all ingredients are used or until you reach the top of the pan. The top layer should only consist of meat sauce and parm cheese. Cover with foil and cook in 350* oven for 1 hr or until bubbly!

Serve with Salad and garlic bread!

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Crawfish Etouffee

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1/3 c vegetable oil

1/3 c water

1/3 c margarine

1 c diced onion

1/2 c diced green bell pepper

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 lb peeled crawfish

1/2 lb peeled shrimp without tails

2 cans mushroom soup

2 stalks celery

1 can original rotel

1 Tbsp dried parsley

1 tsp cayenne pepper

salt to taste

Melt margarine and oil in pot on stove. Saute onions, green peppers, and garlic until translucent. Add crawfish, shrimp, and water to onion mixture and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30-40 minutes. Water can be added to thin as desired.

Serve over steamed rice.

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Caramelized Baked Chicken

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2 boneless/skinless Chicken Breast

3/4 c Ketsup

3/4 c Honey

1/2 c Soy Sauce

3-4 cloves of garlic- diced

Cook all ingredients, minus chicken, on stove top. Bring to a boil- reduce to a simmer for 10-15 minutes until thick. Put chicken in a baking dish and pour half the sauce over chicken, set additional sauce to the side. Cook chicken 35-40 minutes at 350* until juices run clear.

Serve over steamed rice and pour heated remaining sauce over top.

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Texas Style Chili with BIG Flavor

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1.5 lb ground beef

1 can chilibeans in Medium sauce

1 can diced tomatoes w/oregano and basil

1 can original rotel

1/2 can (6 oz) tomato paste

1/2 large onion chopped

2 stalks celery chopped

1 green bell pepper chopped

1 can green chiles- medium/hot

1 1/2 tsp bacon bits

2 cubes beef bouillon

1/4 c beer

2 Tbsp Chili powder

1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 tsp minced garlic

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp hot sauce (tabasco, etc)

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp white sugar

Cook in crockpot for 5-6 hrs

OR

Cook beef on stove, drain excess grease. Add remaining ingredients and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Serve with fritos and shredded sharp cheddar cheese

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Top 2 Tuesdays!

Top 2 Tuesday!

Top 2 Favorite Stores

1. I am in LOVE with any place that has sun-dresses!! I dont care where it is as long as they have them. When I moved, I literally had 3 large boxes of just dresses... I think I verge on being obsessed! haha! But it doesnt matter... lol!

2. Hobby Lobby! oh i could spend hours and toooo much money in that store!! I swear it's a drug for me! I get some of the best "junk" and house stuff there! All of which, I do not need! I also looove to scrapbook and that is my scrapbook heaven!! Im also trying to work through my "crafty- bucket list," and my next big project is to make some floral arrangements... we shall see how that turns out!! WISH ME LUCK!! haha!

Also, if you go to Hobby Lobby between March 1- March 6th, you can get 40% off any regular priced item with this coupon! woo hoo!

http://www.hobbylobby.com/assets/dynamic/_weekly.coupon/2010_10_coupon.gif

Other Top Shop Contenders:

Ann Taylor Loft

Michael's

Express

HEB Plus- (Awesome Scrapbook stuff there)

Target

Bakers and Steve Madden Shoes

...Im pretty sure the list is never-ending! :)

Life in NY!

Here are some photos of our short 6 month life in NY!!

Freeezing in December

Brian at Niagara Falls in January

Brian and Billy at the Falls

Goshh i do miss seeing this!


Soooo Pretty!Me and my Mom playing in the SNOW!

Rockband Night with the Brian's Sisters and Bro-in-law

Halloween

(Mike, Trisha, Me, and Brian... LOL)

The Boys on Halloween!

Superman and Batman

Niagara Falls at Night

My sissy and me at the Falls in Sept

Top 2 Tuesdays!

Top 2 Tuesdays!!
Top 2- Favorite TV shows

1. Grey's Anatomy! Omgoshh, i could watch this show day and night! I am truly obsessed! I wasn't too sure how I was going to like it with all the new mercy west people coming in and then with George dying and Izzy leaving... i really thought Greys was going to be a bust! Luckily, it's still fantastic as ever!!!!

2. Call me silly, but i absolutely loove 19 Kids and counting! They are truly amazing individuals
who live by the word of God. I personally could never have that many children, but they are truly a remarkable family. They are now dealing with their youngest being in the NICU and all the struggles that go along with that. My bestfriend delivered her daughter 3 months early last August. Alyssa Marie was the most beautiful little girl and she went to be with Jesus after 11 days here on earth. I have seen how hard it can be for a family having a baby in the NICU and I really commend the Duggar's for staying true to their Faith and not turning away from God during such a hardship. God Bless little Josie

Other top contenders:

Private Practice

One Tree Hill

Secret life of an American Teen

The little couple

... and pretty much anything on TLC and Discovery Health =)

More Recipes!

Here are some of our Favorite Recipes, that require a bit more time to prepare! Trust me, they are worth the work!!

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Appetizer- Chuy's Jalapeno Lime Dip

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2 packets dry Ranch Dressing

2 cups Mayonnaise

2 cups Whole Milk

1 can roasted green chiles

1 can sliced jalapenos

(I use Hot, but you can use mild or medium)

Juice from 1 lime

Mix mayo, milk and ranch packets in a bowl. Refrigerate for at least 2 hrs to season. Pulse green chiles, jalapenos, and lime juice in a food processor. Mix in Mayo mixture until well blended. Chill in refrigerator overnight. The longer it sits, the better it is!! Serve with tortilla chips!

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Grilled Jerk Chicken

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4 boneless, skinless Chicken breast

6 green onions, chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped

4 jalapeno peppers (3 seeded/1with seeds) minced

3/4 c soy sauce

1/2 c distilled white vinegar

1/4 c vegetable oil

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp allspice

In a food processor, combine all ingredients except chicken and pulse for about 15-20 seconds. Place chicken in a bowl with marinade mixture and refrigerate for 4-6 hrs or overnight. Grill chicken until juices run clear.

We normally will eat this with double baked mashed potatoes (see below) and sweet corn on the cob.

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Double Baked Mashed Potatoes

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2.5 lbs potatoes peeled and cubed

1/2 c sour cream

1/4 c milk

4 Tbsp butter

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese

1/2 lb bacon cooked and crumbled

4 green onions, chopped

Cook potatoes on stove until completely cooked. Drain water and place in mixing bowl. Add sour cream, milk, butter, salt and pepper. Beat on low speed until light and fluffy.

Put half potato mixture in an 8x11 baking dish. Sprinkle crumbled bacon over top. Add chopped green onions on top of bacon and cover with 1 cup of shredded cheese. Cover with remaining potatoes and top with 1 cup shredded cheese. Bake uncovered in 350* oven for 30 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.

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Ultimate Banana Pudding

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1 large or 2 small instant pudding (vanilla or banana flavored)

3 cups milk

1 can Sweetened Eagle Brand condensed milk

12 oz Cool whip

Keebler vanilla wafers

fresh banana- sliced

Beat pudding and milk together. Stir in Eagle Brand Condensed milk until smooth. Fold in cool whip. Layer in a glass dish- pudding, bananas, and vanilla wafers. You may top with additional cool whip if desired. Chill in refrigerator and enjoy!

Weekend love!

We had a great weekend! Brian and I packed up our wonderful pooches and headed to Houston for the weekend. My dear friend, Amber, is expecting a little girl in March so we went to her baby shower on Saturday. It was Co-ed but it was definitely an estrogen fest... as B would say. He look as though he was in a torture chamber the entire time. He was a trooper though! It was pretty funny when we were playing the games. Brian acted as if we were speaking a foreign language. They brought a tray around with various baby items for us to see and then we had to write down everything we saw on the tray. B and I were on the same team and the moment we had to write everything down, he goes ummm yeah i dont even know what that stuff was! I know there was a diaper and a chew thing on it! haha!
We also got to see our wonderful friends! We got to see Kristina and her ever growing belly!! We cant wait to meet baby Mackynzie Lyla! It seems like all of our friends are expecting! God is truly wonderful!
We also hung out with Britt and her main squeeze, Randall. We had an absolute blast kicking their butt at the Newlywed Game... haha! I guess B and I have 3 years on them, so I'll let it slide this once! lol! We can't wait for them to come to SA!!!
My Mom was wonderful as always! She is like Betty Crocker meets My Big Fat Greek Wedding. She loves to feed you! You say you're not hungry, she'll say "okay, Ill make you something!" We got up this morning to the biggest "brunch" I have ever seen! She made scrambled eggs, biscuits and gravy, smoked sausage with bell peppers, sukiyaki beef, and fresh fruit!!! All that food for 3 people! haha! She is truly amazing and we love her dearly!
My sister was busy baby shopping with Kristina all weekend! They are doing the baby's room in Plum, Lavender and white! It's gorgeous!
All in all, it was an amazing weekend! Now we are back in San Antonio ready for another work week and then our wonderful friends, Travis and Steph, are coming from Dallas to visit! YAY! I haven't seen them since last summer and Brian just briefly saw them when he drove through Dallas on his way to SA from NY! We can't wait to spend an entire weekend with them! Hope everyone had a blessed weekend!! xoxo

Balls, Balls, and more Balls!

Kodi is officially OBSESSED with balls! The bouncier, the better! The nosier, the better! He just thinks they are the best invention in the entire world. Dexter, however, is only interested in taking everything away from Kodi. Once Dexter gets the ball/toy, he then destroys it. These dogs go through toys like they go through food! We have bought the extra strength, "chew-proof" toys... yet these two pooches find a way to rip them to pieces. Even though they are rotten to the core, we love our babies like crazy!!

Here are some more pics of our pampered pooches/furry children!

Top Two Tuesday!

Taylor's Top Two Tuesday!!!

Top Two
DREAM VACATIONS!

1. Fiji, of course! SOOOO PRETTY!!!

2. Scotland is one of Brian's Favorites! I think brian secretly wants to wear a kilt! hehe

My Bestfriend, My Love, My Valentine!

Valentine's Day was absolutely wonderful!! I woke up to Brian cooking me breakfast and being the sweetheart he always is! I was in the bathroom getting ready when Brian started yelling saying there was a MOUSE stuck under the dryer! I started FREAKING out screaming- especially the thought of a mouse in the house... ahhh!! Well I went into the laundry room and Brian kept saying dont you hear it... his butt is like sticking out of the side! I was so scared I couldn't even look! He kept insisting I look on the side of the dryer... so after about 10 minutes of trying to convince me, I finally gave in and looked! There was a BIG box and a card on it!! I didn't even see it! I was still trying to find the darn mouse! haha! Finally Brian was like did you even see it?! lol

He finally just said LOOK! It was a new BIGGER Crockpot! The one Ive been wanting forever now... Mine is just too small for when I cook for a party! =) I was so happy and he was like well do you want to go out to dinner or something. I kept saying, "Lets just stay in and ill cook so we can avoid the crowds." He then said, "Well how about going around 3ish so we avoid lunch and dinner crowds.... wanna go to Olive Garden or something?" I wasn't going to pass up Olive Garden Salad so I, of course, said yes! lol

Right before we left, Brian said "Hey lets go to this steak house Will was talking about." Not a huge fan of steak, I was a little skeptical... but being valentine's day I say okay because I know Brian Loves Steak. The whole way there he was acting like he was lost and calling Will and getting mad for not giving him the right directions. Before I know it, we make an abrupt turn into a parking lot and he parks. I was like umm what are we doing? He was like do you know where we are? I looked around and we were at THE MELTING POT! I was like BABy we cant go here it's Valentines day... we have to have reservations. He goes "Baby, we do! Ive had this planned for weeks now!!!" I almost fell over!!

We go into the restaurant and Brian had them put Red roses on the table for me. The dinner was amazing. We had jumbo shrimp cocktail for our first course. Then a tomato-Basil Cheddar cheese fondue that we dipped bread, veggies, and apples in for our 2nd course. An amazing greek salad for our 3rd course. Lobster, filet mignon, chicken, pork, tuna, steak, and dumplins that we cooked in front of us in a Caribbean- Citrus Base Broth for our 4th course.... and last BUT NOT LEAST.... a white Chocolate fondue with a hint of Strawberry that we dipped fresh strawberries, pound cake, brownies, bananas, rice treats, and cheese cake in... OH MY GOSH, SOOOO GOOD!!!!!! My mouth is watering just thinking about it!!!!

Brian is truly amazing! He is my bestfriend, my love, and MY MOST WONDERFUL VALENTINE!!!!!