At Last My Love Has Come Along

I could not be more excited to say that I am officially going to be Mrs. Abigail Tracy. The "inspector" decided it was time to put some bling on the left hand. It been like a month now, it has been crazy around the holidays! The story went a little something like this...

Almost 3 years ago this fella asked me to a George Strait concert in Little Rock. Since George is the King of country, who could possibly turn down this date. We danced, sang, and that's where the journey began.

Sunday December 19, 2010, after spending the weekend in Arkansas catching up with friends in Little Rock and visiting Dick's family for Christmas I was told we were attending a Christmas party that night. Little did I know it was just an excuse to make me get ready and put on make up!

Dick picked me up a little after 7:00 and said that the party was cancelled. So he knew I loved looking a Christmas lights and saw that they were doing them in horse drawn carriages down the street from my house. I have always dreamed of someone taking me in a carriage to see lights!! We looked at Christmas lights for a good 45 minutes all snuggled up. He was so casual and just being really fun and sweet. After the entire tour was over, I stepped out of the carriage and dick and I started walking towards the car...

To set the scene there were people EVERYWHERE and they were almost huddled around us. It was like the pit stop of carriage rides. Then Dick led me over towards this one area in the grass, got down on one knee and started talking. I was so caught off guard I was saying NO, NO, No!  I just remembered him saying my full name, something about church, I love you, and will you marry me? I stuck out my right hand like a moron and then starting crying! Applause by the crowd topped off the perfect moment. There was one thing I completely missed...
The HUGE light up sign that said "will you marry me"

It took me a few minutes to notice the sign wrapped in Christmas lights! So funny! But him and his buddy chad from work hand made this sign!

So we quickly went back to my house to tell my family the exciting news. On my way I started calling my besties and the only one that answered was Buelow and she was a little distracted on the phone. I walk in my house and my sister says congrats and said "did you have a chance to tell all your friends?" Then one by one they all start walking down the stairs! A loud scream and tears might of happened.

Then more  and more friends came and it was a party!

The cake says it all! The table was full of goodies, bridal magazines, flowers, and fake diamonds

Sweet sisters giving me a "blow out"

The Abbie Bling!

It was an absolutely perfect night in every way! I am proud to say I have finally met the boy I am going to marry. 11/12/11 we will be getting married at Prestonwood Baptist Church! Let the planning begin!

Blessings and Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is the time of year for families to gather and be thankful for the many the blessings from above. This year my family stayed in town and was joined by my sweet Memaw having one big bloated baptist bash. With "Pretty" Paula Dean in the kitchen, we had more food sitting around than any of us could ever wanted. Thanksgiving tends to be a little more casual at my house. This year, I hate to admit it but we were all in our elastic sweats and no make up.


For the second year in a row we attempted to be the black Friday crazy shoppers. We do it Dunham style going into the madness blindly. No plans, no ads, just make a run for it! We started at 3:30 am and shopped till we dropped at 10:00.

I wanted to share a few new recipes that we LOVED this Thanksgiving:

The first was an AMAZING appetizer and the second was of course my favorite..dessert!

Chrissie's Cheese Ball:

2 -8 ounce packages of cream cheese softened

1- 8 ounces can of crushed pineapple, drained

1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper

2 Tablespoons of finely chopped green onion

1 Tablespoon of salt

1 1/2 cups of chopped pecans

Mix all ingredients together using half of chopped pecans. Shape into a pretty ball and roll the remaining amount of pecans. Refrigerate to regain firmness of cream cheese. Serve with favorite crackers.

Chocolate Pecan Pie:
1 (9 inch pie shell)
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of light corn syrup
1/2 butter
4 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon of salt
6 ounces of semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup of chopped pecans


Preheat over to 325 degrees. In a small saucepan combine sugar, corn syrup, and butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until butter and sugar dissolves. Let cool slightly.
In a large bowl combine eggs, vanilla, and salt. Mix well. Slowly pour sugar mixture into egg mixture, whisking constantly. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans. Pour mixture into pie shell. Bake in Over for 50 to 55 minutes until golden.




One of my favorite times of year are the holidays. There is nothing better than cuddling up with my family playing games, eating food, and thanking the Lord for all his blessings and his faithfulness.


 One interesting piece of history that I read this year was dated back to honest Abe. I had never read the Thanksgiving declaration that Abe Lincoln made in 1863. Shortly after Lincoln committed his life to Christ and celebrated while America was still in the midst of its Civil War. It was this proclamation which eventually led to the establishment of our national Thanksgiving holiday.
"No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows,orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.

In testimony wherof I have herunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed."

Sorry SOO LONG and NO pictures!  I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! It's time to deck the halls and hang the stocking with care!

Thankfully,
Abigail

A Halloween with No Tricks and too many Treats!

Halloween tends to be my least favorite holiday of the year.  There is something about dark scary costumes with spider webs, eerie music, graves stones, and human parts with blood laying in the yard that makes me not  fan. 

I do love Halloween because of the fall weather, pumpkin carving, decorations, and the colorful leaves that are boldest in Arkansas. This past weekend the plan was to go to our church Fall Festival to play games, eat corn dogs then go to my sisters to watch the Rangers in the World Series Game and pass out candy to all the little ones in Frisco.

Fall Festival at Prestonwood turned out to be so much fun! It was my first year going and there were over 20,000 people there. They had a petting zoo, 20 inflatables, a kiddy train, all the fair foods, games, pony rides and of course candy. I saw the most adorable kids dressed up in every costume imaginable. My favorite was the UPS little boy that had a wagon that was his "UPS" truck. Here are a few pics we took.

Pink Pony rides! If I was a little kid
I would have gone nuts!

Petting Zoo. They sign said please just pet
the animals. All the little girls would pick them up
and try to carry them around.

Of course I got a corn dog and Dick got a
Turkey Leg! 

We love passing out candy. Since my sister lives in a neighborhood that has an elementary school  behind it we thought this was going to be a great year for passing out candy. We went to Sam's bought 2 huge bags of candy and filled up our giant bowl.  The bad news was we only saw 6 kids all night. We knew something wasn't right after it was 7:45 and the sidewalks were empty! Not a single lady bug, monster, avatar, princess, lady GaGa costume was in site. Apparently the city of Frisco tricked and treated their little hearts out on Saturday night and we were prob the only ones unaware. LOL! It's CRAZY, you cannot change the date of Halloween! We did in fact dress up all of the kids in our family.

They are best buds and LOVE each other!

My child Lucy the Bumble Bee

My sisters Maddie the Lady Bug

Baby Frankenstein! The only costume that
would fit him this year! He was 10 days old!

I hope everyone had a HAPPY HALLOWEEN and the candy in your bowl made some little kids smile!

Abigail

Little Hands, Little Feet Simply Precious and Oh So Sweet!

So I am so behind on blogging but I can blame it on this little precious thing! Meet Jonah Dalton Apple, my first nephew! He was born Wednesday, October 20th at Presbyterian Hospital of Plano.

The story went a little something like this. Katie started having those lovely contractions at 11:00 p.m. Tuesday. But because Jonah's original due date wasn't until Halloween, Johnny refused to let Katie check into the hospital!  Let me say this, Katie is a bit of a drama queen, well ALOT of a drama queen so I understand Johnny's  train of thought. He kept telling her that it was too early. They drove all the way to the hospital, turned around went home, then drove again to the hospital and sat in the parking lot and talked things over. SO FUNNY and typical of these two!

She's going to kill me for this pic, but it was 5:00 a.m. and
we were SO excited!

Finally Katie convinced Johnny into walking into the emergency room. So 4:00 a.m. I get a knock on my bedroom door from "Pretty" Chrissie telling me it was time to meet Jonah. My first response was we aren't READY!! That Wednesday night we were actually going to help Katie finalize the baby room, install car seats, and organize all the baby gifts. Well Jonah had other plans!

All Katie would talk about is the Texas Rangers playoff game at 3:00 that afternoon. She was hoping he would be here before the first pitch was thrown. We take our Rangers baseball seriously! :)

Made his grand appearance at 2:57 p.m.
6lbs 9 ounces  19 1/2 inches

Born with a full head of dark hair that is naturally a Fo-Hawk this boy is for sure related to Johnny Apple! He is such a blessing and a miracle from above. It blows my mind to see God create this perfect little human being and to think that he already has a plan for his life!
Here are a couple pictures out of 200 from all of the many people that visited Katie and Johnny at the hospital..

I can tell you now, this child will be SPOILED from Pretty and Babs

The wreath that sweet Angie made last minute! It was adorable.

His mini-me.. They look so much alike. 

Future EEE Beau.. just kidding but he does look good on that blanket! :)

I'm obsessed

Finally getting to go home on Friday afternoon

A little surprise at there house when they got home! The stork came by to announce his birth.

Thank you to everyone for the prayers, support, hospital visits, gifts, and love. Jonah is so loved already! There will be plenty more blogs about this little boy!

A Dick Tracy Party!

To top the weekend off we celebrated Dick's 26th birthday! So what's more appropriate then actually having the classic yellow and black cartoon inspector. It was thrown together last minute, but turned out cute!

We had a party cooking his favorite dishes from "Pretty's" kitchen. He ordered steak, shoepeg corn, ranch potatoes, and rolls. Typical boys meal! Since I don't eat steak, my dad so kindly threw me a piece of chicken on the grill!

Yellow hat and all, The table was complete and he loved it!

Blueberry cake from the famous "Bonnie Ruth's" in Frisco. It's his absolute favorite! There is nothing like it!

Him trying not to bust out laughing! Yes the hat was necessary to blow out the 26 candles!

A little fuzzy but it was the only one sweet Lucy was looking at the camera! 

He had the best birthday! The trend has caught on..now everyone in the family is getting a themed birthday this  year! Happy Birthday to my sweet "inspector" and best friend!

The State Fair of Texas.. Fried Food Welcomed!

Fried Latte's, Margaritas, Butter, Twinkies, Ice Cream, you name it and they can fry it! Once a year the fair comes to Dallas bringing in Fletchers corn dogs, lemonade, the ferris wheel, games, and cars. They have the fair every year down around the cotton bowl stadium. Like they say, "Everything is Bigger in Texas."

The cotton bowl.. Where OU beats Texas every year :)

This was Dick's first time to the Texas State Fair so we saw EVERYTHING! My favorite was the animal tent that Children's hospital puts on every year. They have zebras, goats, giraffes, ducks, pigs, turtles, kangaroos that you can feed and pet! I think we spent like an hour in there! Here are a few pics of the little guys..

We also we enjoyed the best Corn Dogs ever made... EVER made! Fletchers con dogs with a little bit of mustard is the only fair food a person needs! Incredible and I'm not a huge hot dog fan!

Another fun part are all the buildings that you can walk through. They have a huge car show, arts and crafts, cooking shows, and lots of sampling. One really cool exhibit every year is the statues made out of BUTTER ONLY!

This year it was an OU vs. Texas games scene. How would like to have that job?! lol

We rode one ride that dick made me get on that I thought I was going to DIE! I hate fair rides. They are sketchy. This one went in the year flipping and spinning. NEVER AGAIN.

It was a gorgeous fall Saturday and the last weekend to attend the fair this year! What fried foods could they possibly cook next?