Birthday Mini-Vacay

Ben and I went to a fundraising event in April and from the silent auction, we won a 3 day/2night stay at the Watercolor Inn!  I have been to the area several times but only stayed at the Watercolor Inn once and it poured down raining pretty much the entire time we were there (check out that post for cool pictures from the inn)!  We decided to redeem our free trip this past weekend since it was Ben's Birthday on Sunday, the 21st!!!

Friday after work, we drove the 2 hours there, checked into the hotel, and immediately went to dinner at the Great Southern Cafe in Seaside.  I have been craving our dinner ever since that night.  Fresh Oysters on the half shell, West Indies Salad in a martini glass...Grits A-Ya-Ya.... it was all FANTASTIC!  

Drinks after dinner at the resort, by the fire

I love this resort SO much.  The architecture is beautiful, it's very secluded, you feel like you are somewhere other than the panhandle of florida, everything is so quaint, the beds are ridiculously comfortable, the staff is so nice, the food is delicious and fresh, and it's just so relaxing!  

On Saturday we slept in way later than we should have (thanks to those comfy beds) and then went to the pool!  

Later that afternoon, after I had had plenty of sun, we decided to go down to the beach and relax under an umbrella.  I finished my book, we listened to the waves, and both of us even took a short nap!  

As the sun was beginning to come down, it was time to get ready for dinner!  We stopped for cocktails and a sushi appetizer at the restaurant downstairs before going to our 8pm reservation at Fish Out of Water for Birthday Dinner!  This restaurant has gotten rave reviews and we 2nd them!  

We brought our own wine... this was a special nice bottle that we got while we were in Napa and it was the perfect occasion to drink it!  

Champagne back in the room and long deep talks on our balcony.... 

I love my hubby so much! 

Sunday was checkout day (and Ben's actual BIRTHDAY!) so we headed to Seaside for Lunch at Bud & Alley's! 

Then it was sadly time to go home!  We had such a wonderful time and it was a nice little vacation weekend to re-charge and celebrate!  For the next 5 months my younger hubby & I will actually be the same age and I'll enjoy that!  He's pretty easy to please, didn't want much for his birthday and this was the birthday dessert he requested:

I aim to please. :)  

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEN! 

late season gardening

Everyone was blogging about all their gardening this past Spring and earlier in the summer and at that time our garden was either nonexistent or non-flourishing.  Ben & I have wanted to grow a big ole garden every single year since we got married but it has always been a sad attempt.  First of all, we don't have a good place for a garden.  We can't put it anywhere in the backyard or Harper would EAT everything.  So we found a spot on the side of the house where we have decided to plant things behind the bushes so you can't see them and its facing the sun correctly, but it's completely facing the street. This picture is from last year so the bushes and trees are a bit bigger now but you get the idea; this is where it is: 

In the past we have grown tomatoes and although they grew well & were pretty, they didn't taste that great so we scratched those this year.  I also LOVE growing fresh herbs and we did plant most of the usuals this year (basil, mint, cilantro, parsley) but they all got destroyed within the first month or so from heat and lack of watering.  

Ben is obsessed with all kinds of peppers so I'm pretty sure we had about 5 different pepper plants (Jalapeno, Serrano, mystery pepper, etc).  We have had pepper galore; we can't even give them away fast enough!

I also put in a squash plant and red bell pepper, quite unsure if they would produce anything.  Finally here at the end of the summer we have had 1 squash and 1 red bell pepper (which I accidentally knocked off the vine when it was still green).    The squash was delicious in stir fry the other night.  

With a lot of fresh ingredients, Ben & I decided we wanted to make a homemade pizza.  The first time we tried it out, we (AKA Ben, the grill master) completely burnt it on the Primo grill and the 2nd time it was so much better!  This may become a regular rather than ordering pizza.  (Can you tell whose side is which?  Bacon vs. Avocado...)

Oh yeah, we like a lot of cheese.... but we actually realized this was TOO MUCH cheese! :) 

I wish we could cook from ingredients straight out of the garden every day but obviously that would never happen living where we do.  My dream is to actually be able to have raised beds as a garden one day.  If we don't move any time soon then our options at this current house are: 

a) Harper actually grows out of his stage of ruining things in the backyard so that we can plant wherever we want (which is very unlikely since he dug a hole in the flowerbed today and he is almost 4 years old)

b) we have to tear up some part of the grass in our fenced in yard and also put some sort of protective fence around it so that Harper can't reach them.... 

c) we keep planting behind the shrubs.... grrr

Hmmm.... we will see how that pans out next year, but for now we are still swimming in garden peppers over here.

needed reminding

Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.

Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.

Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.

Painful moments, TRUST GOD.

Every moment, THANK GOD.

change of pace

No weekend plans turned into a full weekend of fun!  Friday night we had a delicious wine, steak, potato, & salad dinner with friends: Austin & Stephanie, William & Brianne.  The 6 of us are all going on vacation together in less than a month and we had planning to do!  I cannot wait to share the adventure that we go on, and I'm sure to have tons of incredible pictures, but for now this link is all I will share.  

 Saturday morning at the last minute, Ben & I went up to the Farm for the day.  We stopped by my parents Camp house to check on the construction progress!

 The view out our bedroom window to-be!  Ah, I can't wait! 

Then we went by the farm for a few hours to play/work.  A man & his chainsaw:

It had just rained & finally stopped and the woods looked gorgeous

Harper

 Without fail, if there is a puddle, Harper will find it & lay in it! 

the fog rolled in...

 We made it back home just in time to get ready for another wedding shower for Rachel & Hollis.  Their Fairhope friends threw them an Around the House Party.  

Doc & MiMi, Natalie & Birthday Boy Stephen

 goofballs opening gifts

 sisters (who thinks we look alike?  who thinks who looks most like who?) 

 Church, lunch at Ruby Tuesdays, a Nap, another Publix run (this time I saved $26 with coupons so I'm doing better!), and dinner (a future blog post) rounded out our delightful Sunday!    Have a wonderful week! 

stock the... kitchen!

It's getting closer.... my sister's wedding showers have begun & I can't believe their wedding is less than 2 months away!  Her friends hosted a "Kitchen Shower" for Rachel & Hollis last weekend with a little Mexican theme.

 And I advise everyone to go see Crazy, Stupid Love.  It was hilarious and Ben & I both laughed the entire movie.