Making // our home ready for our house guests in March! I. Can't. Wait.
Cooking // a lot of Dijon chicken, I might share a recipe soon! 
Drinking // water, water & more water.
Reading // my bible less than I should, need to change that.
Wanting // Spring to come soon. Over this cold weather, like woah.
Looking // forward to February. My birthday month & Valentines, so much love ahead!!
Wasting // fruit, thank God Peter makes up for my lack of orange snacking.
Crocheting // nada. Gotta get started on something...
Wishing // birthday wishes very soon, only a few more days until February 3rd!
Enjoying // so much Gilmore Girls.
Liking // a LOT of almond milk with banana nut cereal so much right now.
Wondering // about how amazing Wicked is going to be in a few weeks with my Mom!! Can't wait for her to see it for the first time!
Loving // our new Subaru Outback!!!
Hoping // that the Patriots lose on Sunday! Grrr, they annoy me.
Marveling // at the way the chicks are laying more eggs already, amazing what a little weather change and extra sunlight can do.
Needing // to remember that people can see my eyes when I have my glasses on. They are not sunglasses, Cassie! My need to people watch and wearing glasses makes things so awkward when they catch me and I don't look away, and then I think... Shoot! they can see my eyeballs. 
Smelling // lots of cold rain lately. I'm so ready for Spring. Did I already say that?
Wearing // the same thing over and over, it feels like.
Following // so many fun businesses on Instagram. 
Noticing // how 2015 has been such a blessing already, so thankful!
Knowing // that the five minutes before working out area lot worse than the five minutes after I'm finished. The surge of energy and happiness I feel after a great workout is so worth the dread in going!
Thinking // about how much I'm going to cry during the final Parenthood show. I have last weeks recorded and will record this weeks, then I will sob like a baby while watching both back-to-back.
Bookmarking // pinterest ideas like crazy.
Opening // my closet to clean and get rid of things I never wear.
Giggling // at my friends... I'm so thankful for the people I have in my life, they make me laugh and enjoy life!
Feeling // super happy.

In The Word // February Plan

Time for a new plan and time for me to admit I'm behind.... again. 
This month has been a crazy one, full of busy days and nights and even busier weekends. 
I will catch up again but I'm not going to stress about it and make this plan a chore. 
I want to enjoy and and savor the words I read!

Any of you still with us on this plan?
How's it going??

Project 365 // week 3.

A Photo a Day for 365 Days

Day 15 //  Jan 15
relaxing nights in this corner

Day 16 // Jan 16

finally some sunshine

Day 17 // Jan 17

a new spot for some yoga

Day 18 // Jan 18

Sunday morning coffee

Day 19 // Jan 19

AM traffic into downtown

Day 20 // Jan 20

my latest addiction, raw almonds

Day 21 // Jan 21

best chips & salsa in downtown Greenville


{All photos in the post were taken with my Cannon EOS Rebel XTi & my 50mm 1.8 lens}

I've Never.

.....done any extreme sports.

I've always wanted to sky dive but I know I would chicken out. I've tried snowboarding and the only thing that I did was cry extremely well. I thought about skiing but I figured that would result in the same outcome. And I've never done any kind of water sports either, like the one pictured above. That is definitely not me. Just some dude at Harvard.

.....traveled to Europe.

I really, really want to go one day with Peter so he can show me all of the beautiful places he's already seen. All of our trips since being married have been to new places for both of us, but one day, we will travel to Germany, Italy & many other places together.

.....made anything from scratch by myself.

It is one of my goals! A pie, pasta sauce, pizza dough, anything. It will happen soon!! Cupcakes are on my list for a fun Valentines Cupcake Exchange with some girlfriends in a few weeks.

.....gone a week without Mexican food.

Seriously, it's a problem. I love it. Can't stop, won't stop. Margaritas are always my choice beverage also. Yuuuuum.

.....been on a cruise.

The idea of being on a huge ship for more than a few hours just makes me feel sick. And makes me think of Titanic... so, no thanks.

.....gotten a speeding ticket.

I have however gotten into three accidents (only one being my fault) but I've never been pulled over for speeding. Which is super surprising.

.....enjoyed a bubble bath.

yuck. It's hot, boring and I always feel dirty after. And how do you not get your pages on your books wet? It's just not possible. Showers all the way, without books of course. 

k, your turn!! What have you NEVER done?

Link up with The Circle!

My Word for 2015.

This is my first year to pick one word that will signify the year ahead and I'm very excited about it. For 2015, I constantly want to grow.

Grow within my relationship with the Lord:

I want to find less excuses. Dig deeper for more of Him and yearn for it daily. I hope to pray for others more and not just myself. I want to love Him selflessly and love His people the same. I hope that I show His light in everything I do during this year ahead. I want others to know that I am His, not questioning where I stand or who I follow.

Grow as a wife:

My most important role in this life. The one thing that I hope I get right is this role as wife and one day mother. I pray that the woman that I am in our home is a faithful servant. A true Ezer for Peter and all those who enter our home. I want to build Peter up and support him in all our decisions as husband and wife, and in those moments where we do not agree, I hope that I can trust him and follow his lead. I want my love to grow even more this year for the man that God has given me.

Grow as a family member & friend:

During the year ahead, I want to step out and love those around me. The ones that are my biological family, my married family and my chosen family. I love having all different kinds of family and I know that God has blessed me with each and every person that fills my life. I truly hope to bless them in return buy asking questions, being there 100%, and growing within those relationships. I don't want to simply take but give back in return since I have so many in my life that give and pour into me.

Grow as a blogger:

The past few weeks have been a little different. This little blog takes a LOT of time and I have honestly enjoyed not posting 5 days a week. It is nice to take a little break and recollect yourself so I can make some decisions. I'm excited about where things are going and I'm working hard on some future content. At the end of the day, I want this blog to be me. A true reflection to my life and my heart. I'm excited to share all of the many things that will fill my life and my heart in this coming year.

What is your word,

or how do you hope to grow?

Project 365 // week 2.

A Photo a Day for 365 Days

Day 8 // Jan 8

icy cold day

Day 9 // Jan 9

extra strong cup of tea

Day 10 // Jan 10

one of my favorite little spots in our home

Day 11 // Jan 11

a little sweet during Sunday Night Downton

Day 12 // Jan 12

my favorite light fixture in our home

Day 13 // Jan 13

left over Christmas.... or early Valentine's

Day 14 // Jan 14

missing the sunshine

{All photos in the post were taken with my Cannon EOS Rebel XTi & my 50mm 1.8 lens}

meal planning for a gal that loves to change her mind.

One heck of a blog post title, huh? Well, I didn't know any other way to explain this post. I am a BIG planner. I love planning every little thing but I always plan with a pencil and eraser. I'm not big on finalizing most plans because I like to go with the flow in life. But, I always want to have an idea about what is going to happen. I know, it's strange.

So anytime that I've tried to meal plan in the past I always end up with food that we never eat. BUT this week is different. I really sat down and tried to think about what I will need. What I will use. And things that will last in case I didn't use them. I also started to pack lunches so I didn't have an excuse to not eat the yummy food I bought.

Below is the way I worked all of this out....

1 // I started with breakfast and lunch because I knew those things are simple and mostly the same every day

2 // then I moved on to snacks

3 // after that I started to list the weekly schedule for our nights so I could figure out what I needed to buy for dinner

4 // don't forget the list when you go to the store (the hardest part for me every single time!)

Pretty simple, now making myself do it is another thing. I'd love to hear what you do?? 

Do you meal plan?

What are your tricks?? 

Back Hall (& bathroom) Re-Do // Part Four

The project is almost completely finished but we still have some decorating/finishing touches to do and I'm too impatient to wait for the full post, so I thought I would share some of the ending details now. We were so thankful for our brother-in-law that was in town for Christmas and unselfishly chose to do some work at our house with Peter. He helped us with all of the little details that would have taken a lot longer with just me and Peter. This also meant I didn't have to do much other than mop, so that was pretty awesome. ;) 

Peter did an amazing job with all of the tile and the grout! 

I am so proud of him and I can't wait to see what our other two bathrooms will look like

in a few years, now that he knows how to complete these kind of projects.

Once the quarter round was in place everything started to look complete.

This is where Reinaldo stepped in and helped, we were very thankful

& after some fresh white paint on all the trim, everything looks bright and new!

funny fact..... 

the towel stayed in place during the ENTIRE renovation. HA! 

I didn't realize it until after we were finished and the sink was in place at how dirty it had become. 

I can't wait to share the completed look with all of you very soon!

Project 365 // week 1.

A Photo a Day for 365 Days

I felt inspired by Kiki and her beautiful photos she shared during 2014

& I couldn't resist sharing my photos this year!

I'm excited for this challenge and I can't wait to see what my photos will look like....

Day 1 //  Jan 1
December & January meet

Day 2 // Jan 2
rainy downtown Greenville

Day 3 // Jan 3
packing up Christmas

Day 4 // Jan 4
rainy day (whole weekend) for the chicks

Day 5 // Jan 5
empty bed for prayers + reading

Day 6 // Jan 6

pretty view while sitting in traffic

Day 7 // Jan 7

happy kitchen counters

I'm not quite sure how this project will work out.

I might post weekly, I might post bi-weekly.

I might only use my Cannon, I might use my phone as well.

We'll see how it goes, but so far I'm loving it!!

{All photos in the post were taken with my Cannon EOS Rebel XTi & my 50mm 1.8 lens}

Praying for your Husband

One of my goals for this month is to complete the 31 days of prayer for Peter. I haven't started it yet but today is the day. I know I will flow over into February and not be finished by the end of January but that isn't really the point. The point is to take time every day to pray for the man you call husband. I always say my prayers silently before I go to sleep at night. While I'm laying in bed, listening to Peter's breathing as he's already asleep, but I don't ever take the time to really sit down and pray for him alone. I'm excited to start this challenge! 

When Peter and I started talking about marriage and I knew he would eventually pop the question, I bought a journal. Letters and cards are my love language for sure, so I wanted to fill the pages with prayers for him and letters to him so he could read through them one day. I left the first page blank so I could write something special on our wedding day for our first look. 

To be completely honest, Peter hasn't opened the journal since that day. Letters and cards are NOT his love language. HA! So the journal is sitting on a bookshelf and not being used at all. I thought this would be a great way to keep using it. Keep filling the pages with letters and prayers for him. Even if he doesn't want to sit and read it now, I know he will one day. I will love to look back on them and I hope that our future children will read them as well.

The prayer plan is below, originally found HERE:

Day 1 Pray that your husband will grow spiritually and consider his accountability before the Lord. Pray that he will guard his heart by developing spiritual disciplines—Bible reading and study, prayer, meditation, scripture memorization, etc. (2 Peter 3:18; Prov. 4:23)

Day 2 Pray that your husband’s relationship with God and His Word will bear fruit in his life. Pray that he will be a man of wisdom and understanding, fearing the Lord. (Prov. 3:7, 9:10; Ps. 112:1)

Day 3 Pray that your husband will be humble and quick to agree with God about his sin. Pray that his heart will be tender toward the voice of the Lord. (Ps. 51:2-4; Micah 6:8)

Day 4Pray that your husband will grow in leadership skills in your relationship—protecting and providing for you. Pray that he will lead you wisely and love you sacrificially, so that God will be glorified in your marriage. (Eph. 5:25-29; Col. 3:19)

Day 5Pray that your husband will be faithful to his wedding vows. Pray that he will have a desire to cultivate your relationship as a sign of his loyalty and commitment to you, and as a picture of Christ’s love for the Church. (Prov. 20:6; Gen. 2:24)

Day 6Pray that your husband will love righteousness and hate wickedness, especially the evils of the culture. Pray that he will recognize and avoid wickedness in his own life, and if necessary, take a clear, strong stand against evil. (Prov. 27:12; John 17:15; 1 Cor. 10:12-13)

Day 7Pray that your husband will safeguard his heart against inappropriate relationships with the opposite sex. Pray that his heart will be pure and undivided in his commitment to you. (Prov. 6:23-24, 26; Rom. 13:14)

Day 8Pray that your husband will work hard to provide for your family, to the best of his ability. Pray that the character qualities necessary for a successful career and ministry will be a growing part of his character—persistence, decisiveness, strength, an analytical mind, organizational skills, positive relationships with people, determination, etc. (Rom. 12:11; 1 Cor. 15:58)

Day 9Pray that your husband handle finances wisely, will have discernment concerning budgeting and investments, and will be a good steward of his money in regard to giving to the Lord’s work. Pray that money will not become a source of discord in your family. (Prov. 23:4-5; Rom. 12:13; Heb. 13:5)

Day 10Pray that your husband will cultivate strong integrity, and not compromise his convictions. Pray that his testimony will be genuine, that he will be honest in his business dealings, and will never do anything that he needs to hide from others. (Prov. 20:7; 1 Tim. 1:5, 3:7; Eph. 6:10-12)

Day 11Pray that your husband will have a humble, teachable spirit and a servant’s heart before the Lord. Pray that he will listen to God and desire to do His will. (Prov. 15:33; Eph. 6:6)

Day 12Pray that your husband will yield his sexual drive to the Lord and practice self control. Pray that your sexual intimacy together will be fresh, positive, and a reflection of selfless love. (Prov. 5:15, 18; 1 Cor. 7:3; Song of Solomon 7:10)

Day 13Pray that your husband use practical skills to build your family and make wise decisions for your welfare. Pray that he will serve unselfishly. (Gal. 5:13; Phil. 2:3-4)

Day 14Pray that your husband will speak words that build you and your family, and reflect a heart of love. Pray that he will not use filthy language. (Prov. 18:21; Eph. 4:29)

Day 15Pray that your husband will choose his friends wisely. Pray that God will bring him men who will encourage his accountability before God, and will not lead him into sin. (Prov. 13:20; Prov. 27:17)

Day 16Pray that your husband will choose healthy, God-honoring activities. Pray that he will not live in bondage to any questionable habits or hobbies, but that he will experience freedom in holiness as he yields to the Spirit’s control. (1 Cor. 6:12, 10:31; 2 Tim. 2:4)

Day 17Pray that your husband will enjoy his manliness as he patterns his life after Christ and strong men in the faith. Pray for his physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual strength. (Eph. 3:16; 1 Peter 2:21; 1 Cor. 10:11)

Day 18Pray that your husband will have an eternal perspective—living in light of eternity. Pray that he will reject materialism and temporal values and put God first in his life. (Matt. 6:33; Deut. 6:5; Eph. 5:16; Ps. 90:12)

Day 19Pray that your husband will be patient and a man of peace. Pray that he will not give in to anger, but will allow the Holy Spirit to control his responses. (Rom. 14:19; Ps. 34:14)

Day 20Pray that your husband will yield his mind and thoughts to the Lord. Pray that he will not entertain immoral or impure thoughts, and that he will resist the temptation to indulge in pornography. (Prov. 27:12; 2 Cor. 10:5)

Day 21Pray that your husband will learn how to relax in the Lord and, in his greatest times of stress, find joy and peace in his relationship with God. Pray that he will submit his schedule to the Lord. (Neh. 8:10; Prov. 17:22; Ps. 16:11)

Day 22Pray that your husband will practice forgiveness in your relationship and with others. Pray that he will recognize any roots of bitterness, and yield any resentment and unforgiving attitudes to the Lord. (Eph. 4:32; Heb. 12:15)

Day 23Pray that your husband will be a good father—disciplining his children wisely and loving them unconditionally. If he is not a father, pray that he will find a young man to mentor in the things of the Lord. (Eph. 6:4; Col. 3:21; 2 Tim. 2:1-2)

Day 24Pray that your husband will have a balanced life—that he will balance work and play. Pray that he will fear God, but also gain favor with people he knows at work and church. (Luke 2:52; Prov. 13:15)

Day 25Pray that your husband will be courageous in his stand against evil and injustice, and that he will stand for the truth. Pray that he will protect you and your family from Satan’s attacks. (Ps. 31:24; Eph. 6:13; Ps. 27:14)

Day 26Pray that your husband will discover and live his God-given purpose. Pray that he will offer all his dreams to the Lord, and pursue only those goals that will bring God glory and count for eternity. (Jer. 29:11; 1 Cor. 10:31)

Day 27Pray that your husband will understand the importance of taking care of his body—the temple of the Holy Spirit—for the glory of God. Pray that he will practice self-control by making wise food choices, and get sufficient exercise to stay healthy. (Rom. 12:1-2; 1 Cor. 6:19-20, 9:27)

Day 28Pray that your husband will be a man of prayer. Pray that he will seek and pursue God in purposeful quiet times. (1 Thess. 5:17; Luke 22:46; James 5:16)

Day 29Pray that your husband will surrender his time and talents to the Lord. Pray that his spiritual gifts will be manifest in his career, at church, and in your home. (Eph. 5:15-16; 1 Cor. 12:4, 7)

Day 30Pray that your husband will serve God and others with pure motives. Pray that he will obey the Lord from his heart, and glorify Him in everything. (1 Cor. 10:13; John 7:17-18; Col. 3:23-24)

Day 31Pray that your husband will recognize the lies of the Enemy in his life. Pray that his attitudes and actions will be guided by the truth as he brings his thoughts into captivity to the Word of God. (John 8:44; 2 Cor. 10:4-5)

{Photos are property of Living on Cloud Nine blog, 

& are artistic property of Red Apple Tree Photography} 

Join me for this challenge??

Wonderful New Year.

Our New Years Eve was so wonderful. Close friends, sweet family and a lot of fun pictures to help us remember the end of 2014! I am so thankful for the people that God has given me to fill my life. They way we can share stories, dreams, and laugh together warms my heart so much. I really am so blessed. I can't imagine celebrating a brand new year with anyone else! 

^^^ Baby Boy Penland!! Can't wait to meet him!

^^^ that dimple. kills me!

And then the photo corner started!! I love all these pictures below so much. 

It was a lot of fun and I'm pretty sure this will be a yearly thing now,

or maybe even an every party kind of thing! 

all my ladies!!! Love you all so much!

Only one part of the family missing!! We missed you!

^^^ & these two women... I'm so lucky to have them in my life!

Are you excited about 2015???

I am!!!