Help!

Ok girls, I need a new name! "Mr. & Mrs. in Training" just isn't cutting it anymore. I mean, for instance, I started this blog when my husband (then fiance) went away to Officer Training. Well, he's done..he's trained! And I was in training to become a wife. Now, in no way do I think I am an expert in this matter, but I've been a Mrs. for 3 months now and the name just.doesn't.fit.

So this is where you all come in....
I need a blog title! You guys know a little bit about me so I figured I would see if you guys could think of anything creative. Some of y'alls blogs out there are the most creative things I've ever seen!! Throw me anything you got...and there just might be a prize for the reader who can help me! :) Thanks girls! xoxo

Cream-Cheese Filled Pumpkin Muffins

I recently fell in L.O.V.E with the Pumpkin Muffins at Starbucks {easy on the eyes & tummy...not so much on the waistline}. Anyways, I found this recipe online & gave it a try! These bad boys turned out DELISH..I literally had to stash one away for Greg to try on Friday and I made them on Thursday night! Needless to say, they went fast with my family!

Ingredients {makes 24...I had to make 2 batches of 12}
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 pinch cardamom (optional)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups pumpkin
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• chopped pumpkin seeds (optional) or walnuts (optional) or pecans (optional)


Directions
-Preheat oven to 350.
-Put the entire brick of cream cheese on a piece of wax paper or parchment paper and shape it into a long log.
-Put it in the freezer while you mix and fill the pans, up to an hour.
-Unwrap and cut with a sharp knife so each cream cheese disk equals 1-2 teaspoons. If the cream cheese disks are too big around, cut thick slices and then cut them in half. This lets you push it down into the batter easier.
-Mix all ingredients together (except cream cheese and nuts).
-Fill muffin tins (greased or paper cups) half full.
-Put cream cheese disc in the middle, pressing down.
-Sprinkle with chopped nuts.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean from the muffin part (do not touch the cream cheese!).
Let cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove to racks to cool completely. Do not touch the cream cheese until it cools.



Sidenotes: I love cream cheese anything, but not everyone does! I made a batch without the cream cheese middle for my brother & sis-in-law and they were equally as great! Since I do love the cream cheese filling, next time I make these I'm thinking about rolling the cream cheese in powerded suger before slicing. It was a bit "tart" with just cream cheese...but maybe that was just me. :)
Enjoy!

I melt.

These pictures only solidify the fact that my husband is a gift from GOD into my life and I cannot absolutely wait to start a family of our own.


I spent this past week at home with my family, away from husband. I missed him dearly, but I had so much fun taking care of my sweet nephews! Because of the flu, no one under 18 was allowed in the hospital so Big Brother Landon had to stay at home while his Mommy & Daddy were at the hospital welcoming the twins into this world. I spent the days and nights with him at their house.

Then, on Thursday evening, the little twins were ready to come home. :) I continued to stay over night and help out with the twins. Let's just say, I'm running off hardly any sleep, but it was so worth it! And now, I feel very prepared for a little one to call our own! Greg came down to NC to get me this past Friday and spent the weekend with me, meeting Jackson & Alex. I'm pretty sure they stole his heart too.. :)



So now I'm back in Virginia with the Hubs and it feels great to wake up to him everyday again. We only have 4 more weeks left here in VA until it's off to Airborne School for Greg and off to NC to pack for me! Big, BIG move right after Christmas! Man, time is flying! I also tried out some great recipes this past week and will be posting them! They were delish!

Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend!

Brindley Family +2

Our lives are forever changed...

Jackson: 5.11lbs
Alex: 5.12lbs

Big Brother looks scared...


Will post more tomorrow...I have currently come down with a severe case of BABY FEVER!! :)

WCU Homecoming Madness

Tonight, Greg and I are heading to NC for the weekend! It's our alma mater's homecoming this weekend and we are pretty dang excited about it! I've mentioned before, but Greg and I met in college! I still cannot believe that this is my THIRD Homecoming as an alumni! No doubt about it, those 4 years were the BEST of my life!! It's going to be so fun going back to our old stompin' grounds as a married couple! Last year when we went back we were newly engaged and Greg even mentioned that he ALMOST made a plan to propose to me during halftime with the Dance Team on the field! {since I used to be on the team} Holy crazy he is!! :) So thankful he decided to do it on-top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere...

Anyways, here's some blast-from-the-past pictures to get me in the spirit of Western Carolina Homecoming! :)

This was right before my Graduation Party! It was actually a month long celebration, but this is a pic from one of the nights! Bittersweet, for sure!


Charleston for the SoCon Tournament


Catamount Madness during Spirit Week!


That's me right up front..Senior Year :)


Before the Homecoming Parade in 2006!


Back in 2005! After performing about 10 times that day..I promise we didn't always look this rough!


Singing the WCU Song...good times. Especially after you JUST got done performing for about 10 mintues in 90degree heat.


Football games were so much FUN! I'm in the front left :)


Team Photo 2004-2005...holy forever ago! However, one of these girls is a Carolina Panther TopCat and another is a Washington Redskins Ambassador! And in case you're wondering...there are no pro sports teams in Alaska! :( I've already looked into it...boo!


And you better believe this place will be involved! :)


AND I'm looking forward to seeing these two beauties...Ashley & Jackie! They both went to Western same time as I did and are just absolutely the sweetest!

Do any of you go back for Homecoming?!?

Gooooooooooo CATS!!! :)

Adopt A US Soldier. Just do it.

Greg's cousin posted about this on her facebook the other day and it completely excited me! {thanks Alaina!} I ran straight to THIS webpage and signed right up! I got the email containing my soldier's information from the website and immediately sent my soldier an encouraging email introducing myself and letting him know that I promised to be a support system for him as he fights for me! Yes, I said it...me, and my freedoms!


Being married to a soldier sometimes makes it easy to opt-out of other opportunities. Often times I hear wives say, I've already adopted a soldier, I married one! Yes, in fact, I did marry one, but I also know how much it would mean to my husband to receive support from a stranger who appreciates him! And who better knows how to support a soldier than an Army Wife?!?

Now, I'm not saying you must be an Army Wife to do this...if you have about 5 spare mintues and $.44 for a stamp a week, you should do this! It costs absolutely NOTHING to sign up..just a valid email addy. You can send emails, write letters, send newspapers from where you're from, send magazines, send care packages, or simply add them to your prayer list! If you are a teacher then your classroom could adopt a soldier..or if you have kids let them adopt a soldier and make things for him/her, draw pictures, crafts, etc! Even a small group at your church or sunday school class!

I'm on my second email with my soldier and working on finding out his likes/dislikes. I just now mentioned to him that I am an Army Wife, but do you wanna hear something really crazy and cool?? I sent him my first email introducing who I am and where I live now, but also where I am moving to and how I recently got married in July. Keep in mind that when you are signing up for this you don't have to mention anything about who you are...they don't match you with someone that you will have something in common with. They simply send you a random soldier's contact information. Well, I got up this morning and checked my email to find a response from Jason {my soldier}. Guess where Jason is stationed at?!? THE SAME STATE WE ARE MOVING TO and..he's a newlywed, he got married in August!! How completely ironic and a total gift from God! He told me that if I have any questions about the area to just let him know! He also told me that he had signed up to be sponsored before & had gotten a 3rd grade class to support him! He said that it helped out so much during his time away from home! I am just over the moon excited to have this opportunity!

Please, please, please get a group of people together or just you and your spouse go visit this website and get the information for a soldier. I know the soldiers, the military community, and especially the loved ones of the soldier would appreciate it far more than you will EVER know! They are giving you the freedom..so use it to support them! :)

Baby Gap Model Material.

This child is by far the best looking thing to walk this earth...
{ok, I'm a little partial considering it's my nephew}

Seriously, is he not absoulutely BEAUTIFUL?!?

As if you needed any more proof that good looks run in the family! ;)

I keep begging my sis-in-law, Hil, to put him in the Baby Gap Model competition. And oh yea, please go check out her blog and watch the video of him eating corn on the cob. If he didn't win your heart here in these pics..he will for sure in that video! His personality is so priceless..such a little ham!

And to beat it all..there are 2 more little twin boys, Jackson & Alex that will arrive on MONDAY that are going to be equally as beautiful! He's gonna be a big brother, and I'm gonna be Aunt Shan again..times two! I am beyond estatic to have these little additions in our family, I often wonder what we did for fun before they arrived?!?

All of these incredible photos were taken by Miss Katie at Sarah K. Photography. In one word I can sum her up: AMAZING!