Lately, I've been snotty.

Its true!  I'm a big snotty mess!  I hate being sick!  9 days of the big green plague.  Hoping our house will be de-tissued this week sometime.  Other than the nasty sickness, I was engulfed in school last week with two exams, but the highlight at the end of the week was a trip to the home of the mighty Murray State Racers for the birthday party of the year!

Caden Cobb turned 5-YEARS-OLD!  

Can you believe it?  His Uncle B can't.  

Copelan Cobb turned 2!  He is such a big boy now!

Aren't those the cutest cakes you've ever seen!  We had so much fun playing at Yaya's: this super fun kids play room in Paducah.  Uncle B even climbed through all the tunnels and slides.  Here are a few pictures of our fun family weekend!

I wish I had more pictures, but my camera died.  I am not used to having to charge a battery yet.  I have a cute video but I don't know how to upload it...so I'll get it up when I do.  For now I've got to go...Kate Gosselin's stent on Dancing with the Stars depends on my vote!  (Yes I still like her...Someone has to!)

Hello Spring! You've got me dreaming...

Dreaming?  Yes Dreaming!  Dreaming of one day having a garden and canning all kinds of yummy food and saving BILLIONS of dollars for my family!  Ok so maybe not billions but I'll take saving a couple hundred bucks a year.  I've been sitting here in bed for about two hours reading all kinds of blogger post on gardening and preserving.  Some of you may be thinking I'm a little out there...like no-electricity-wearing-skirts-singing-hymns kind of out there and trust me I think that too when I see some of these blogs but I love it.

Growing up my family always had a big garden.  I didn't always enjoy working in it and I know that will remain true now even as an adult, but I loved the benefits.  Last year with the help of the my super-canning-savvy Mom and my Papa's close friendship with a community of Mennonite people with fabulous produce, I canned some fabulous vegetables!

Last year I put up...

Salsa

Blackberry jam

Green beans

Squash and Zucchini

I froze...

Squash cassaroles

Creamed corn
Okra for frying

I have left from my canning last summer quite a few jars of blackberry jam and salsa if anyone wants some just let me know.  We won't be able to finish it on our own.

This year I am hoping to put up much of the same, but I would love to add Tomato soup.  I have learned to really like it this year and I am always spending money on it.  I found a recipe today for canned tomato soup which would save me so much.  I could do it in serving size jars (since Brandon won't eat it) and take it to school or work for lunch...Perfect!  I may even try to grow some basil and then make pesto.  Sure I've never made it before but I think I can do it.  I would also like to find a recipe for canned pizza sauce.  I'll let you know how things go as the summer progresses (if it would ever get here)

As many of you know, I LOVE saving money!  Its kind of a passion ...that I wish I had more time for.  I haven't bought green beans all year so on that vegetable alone I have have probably saved at least $40 and that's if I was buying the cheap brand of green beans.  ...Dreaming again...  One day I think I can really make a huge dent in our grocery budget with preserving vegetables.

Some of you may be thinking...I've seen her tiny house and itty-bitty kitchen how does she do it...I have a mom with a great big kitchen where I did all the work last year and I store the cans as best I can on a shelf in my washroom and hidden at the top of my way-too-tall-for-me-to-reach cabinets.  I do have a water bath canner (like the one pictured below) but not a pressure canner just yet (as if I would have a place to store it) but my mom and my sister, Candace, both have the big guns pressure canners so I'm in luck.

Sorry there aren't as many pictures on this post.  But I hope I inspired you some.  I know my friend, Sydney, is planting a garden this year.  I'm so excited for her.  Syd, let me know if you need to borrow my water bath canner.

I also freeze a lot of things...fabulous way to have cook when you are in grad school like me.  I'll do a post on them another time.  For now adios, I'm off to hopefully work out side with my handsome hubby when he gets home.

You shouldn't triple-dog-dare me!

Cara Christina Cross

The girl you know by her love of monogramming in the 

  font.

My lovely sister said she would only read my blog if I would stop saying mushy things about my husband and start talking more about her.  Then today she dared me to write a whole post about her (if you know Cara you can hear her saying that dripping with sarcasm)...looks like I'm calling her bluff.  So get to know my sister Cara...

Cara's Favorite Things:  

94.1 The Fish, Napping, Being a Daddy's girl, Being tidy, Shopping with Mom, Coffee shops, Monogramming everything, Playing the neglected middle child (puh-leeze), Meggie & Erin

Here is Cara as a little one...

As if you can't tell, Cara is 4 here.

Mom always tells the story of how she was walking down the rode with Cara as a baby in a stroller when a stranger stopped her and said "She is the most beautiful baby I have ever seen."  And thus it began...

Cara

Fun Fact #1:  Cara is really good at getting free food.

Case in point...Cara got a free meal at SATCO when the lady at the check-out thought she was a poor, high school mom-to-be from the local trailer park.

Fun Fact #2:  Cara wants to be a nurse!  

Love the bedside manner.

Fun Fact #3:  Goldy Locks

Yes, yes, yes.  Cara once had golden hair.  It really did shine like Barbie hair...it was the craziest thing.  

And loved pouty faces!

Fun Fact #4:  Cara does not like mornings!

Fun Fact # 5:  She is beautiful!

And this is her daughter, Sophia.  

Okay its not, but doesn't it look like it!

And now to leave you with the most FAMOUS Cara picture of all time!  As if you haven't seen it.

I know what you're thinking...its not so fabulous of you either.  I totally agree.  Its like I have a tube of curls around my neck and I'm the pale adopted sister.

I love you Carebear!

Look for future installments of "get to know my sister" featuring Candace and Camille.

Meet The Steeles

My Love, Brandon Nix Steele

Wasn't he adorable!  Look at that hair!

Yes he hated that I made him take this picture on our honeymoon.

No I did not darken this picture...He is actually this tan.  You think oh that must a real damper on her self-esteem...Well sometimes.  But, I choose to think "I'm not as white as I appear.  Its only looks that way when we stand next to each other".

His smile can brighten any room!

Brandon favorite things:  the color Blue, the Kentucky Wildcats, the Sun, his morning quiet time, Sports, Skiing, Running, Chocolate, the Beach, his nephews-Caden and Copelan...

Caden, age 4

Copelan, age 1

Me:  Courtney Autumn Steele 

(Yes not Cross Steele...the lady at the DMV took it upon herself to change my name to whatever she wanted then go to lunch without fixing it to what I request...oh well)

This is my dad's favorite picture.  I think it showcases my especially large forehead.

I am one of four girls...this should explain a lot about my personality.

My favorite things:  Coffee, Playing games, Baja Burrito, Blog stalking, Walking fast, Babies, Resting, Any kind of dip, Cooking, Pictures...

Brandon and I met at Lipscomb University in 2004 when I was on the freshmen orientation team when he started his freshmen year (yes I'm older...and yes I hate that...but its only 9 months).  We didn't however start dating until we were both on the orientation team the next year after I told our friend Garner that I wouldn't date anyone on the Quest team...statements like that always come back to get you.  We have been married for almost two years now.  It has gone by so quickly.  Brandon is the campus minister at Lipscomb University and absolutely loves his job.  I am a second year doctoral student at Belmont University's School of Physical Therapy.  Our life feels crazy right now with our busy schedules and my constant deadlines, but we are trying to enjoy this place in our lives.  We know one day we will look back and think about how simple our life was during this time (although right now I could pull my hair out from the stress most days).  We keep our sanity with amazing friends, family, and church.  We are so lucky to have loving, supportive families;  Brandon's in Murray, Kentucky and mine in Lebanon, Tennessee.  We love Ethos Church where we are apart of the leadership.  Everyday we are encouraged to live missionally for God and it has truly enriched our lives over the past two years.  

Well here is our first post.  Caity has been encouraging me to get a blog so I hope you enjoyed this.  I tried to add a lot of pictures...those are always my favorite blog post to read.