Thankful!

What a wonderful Thanksgiving week it was at the Jansen house this year! We were blessed with visits from JJ's Aunt and Uncle from Atlanta the weekend before and his parents the week leading up to Thanksgiving. Always nice to see family around the holidays! Their visits overlapped just long enough for everyone to be able to go to the game on Sunday.

While JJ's parents were here we went to Mimosa Grill in uptown. JJ met the executive chef a while ago and he had been encouraging us to come down and visit him at the restaurant. Oh. My. Goodness. The food was amazing! From the appetizers all the way to dessert, it was delicious. So many good flavors and very reasonably priced for what you get. If anyone in Charlotte has a date night coming up I would HIGHLY recommend trying it out. You won't be disappointed.

Thanksgiving morning Allison (who was nice enough to come down from Winston-Salem with Annie, Barney's favorite bulldog friend) and I did the 5 mile Turkey Trot. It was cold and a little rainy, but we both really enjoyed it. We spent the rest of the day relaxing and cooking while JJ was at practice. I have to admit, I cheated this year and bought the Turkey from Fresh Market already cooked. All I had to do was re-heat it. And we split up the sides between all our guests, so it was a wonderful stress-free day for everyone.

Side note, I was able to witness Allison's successful attempt at making vegetarian gravy. And I have to admit it tasted pretty darn good. Not that I am switching over to the dark side any time soon. Nope, can't do without Big Daddy's Burger Bar. Not only did Al standout with her meatless plate of food, she stood out as the only USC alumn in a room full of Notre Dame kids (minus me, but I still kind of count because I married into the cult). Needless to say, some bets were wagered on the upcoming game...ND picked a good year to beat SC! JJ will be cashing in his free fro-yo next time Allison is in town.

After dinner, we finished the night off by playing a few rounds of The Game of Things. My favorite game ever. If you like Apples to Apples, you will love this game. Pretty much any time we have a large group of people over we end up playing this game, it never fails in providing lots of entertainment and humor. What a good night!

So in summary...Thanksgiving=Good food, good friends and lots of fun

The Month of October...

...in pictures

The whole month was kind of a blur and I'm sad I didn't have time to a better job documenting. We had people in and out of town, a bye week, concerts and comedy shows...and a Panthers win! Woo hoo!

My sister was in town for the bye weekend and so was Chelsea Handler! JJ and I watch Chelsea Lately most nights while going to bed, so we were pretty excited to see her live. Heather McDonald opened for her, and she was hilarious. I think I might add her book to my list of things to read. Great seats thanks to a good friend and his many connections!

Chelsea Chelsea, Bang Bang

Mid October my whole family was out to visit and see a game. We got to celebrate my dad's birthday, carve pumpkins, take Barney for long walks and just enjoy each other's company. I hadn't seen my parents since May (but my sister is out here all the time so I get my share of family time, haha). I was quite impressed with my dad's freehanded Panther pumpkin. All the trick or treaters commented on it!

Our beautiful Jack-o-lantern creations

Carrie Underwood was in town (with Billy Currington and Sons of Silvia) on the 30th. The guys were out of town for an away game, so a few wives on the team (and a few daughters) made it a Girls Night Out downtown. We had AMAZING seats (again, thanks to a well connected friend) and the concert was incredible. If you ever have the chance to see her perform, take it!

Carrie at her Play On tour

Halloween was fun! We celebrated in two parts. Our good friends had their annual party on Friday night at the Breakfast Club, an 80's themed club downtown. This was the first year that I hadn't made my own costume, but I still thought we were pretty creative (it was no Dwight and Angela, but still good). Then on the 31st I was home for the first half of the night passing out candy to all the precious little trick-or-treaters. When JJ got home we joined our neighbors on their hayride around the neighborhood. It was so much fun. We rode around and stopped every few blocks to let the kids out to go door to door and the adults stayed on the trailer and talked. My kind of party.

Is it obvious how much we like beer?

Well I think that covers all of the major highlights from October. Hopefully I will be better in November about staying up to date...wouldn't want to disappoint the fam.

In All Things Give Thanks

There was an interesting editorial in the New York Times today. It was a Thanksgiving toast about being thankful for the unpredictability in our lives, appreciating the fact that we cannot plan out every detail.

For all the control freaks out there, that is a tough pill to swallow. We often think that we know best, and our way is the only way. But I have found that some of the best moments in my life are things that couldn't have gone better than if I had orchestrated every last detail. Sometimes we just have to trust in the process and trust that there is someone else who knows better. Who knows all things and all people. Who loves us and wants what is best for us.

I feel that this especially true for us with JJ's job. We often feel like the uncertainty is unbearable, but it is the uncertainty that makes our lives so exciting. We have lived in places that we would have never even visited otherwise (i mean really, who would have thought we would end up in the Frozen Tundra for 6 months??). Been able to explore different parts of the country and learn new cultures (yes, even though it is part of the US, the South has its own culture). Meet new friends and keep in touch with old friends (because it seems that everyone ends up on the east coast).

Thanksgiving can be seen as a benchmark in our lives. We can see where we've come from, where we are and where we're going just by looking around the table at Thanksgiving dinner. I know this first hand by just looking back at my recent Thanksgiving dinners.

This year we are in Charlotte, NC far away from family and close friends celebrating our first Thanksgiving as newlyweds with new friends. Last year, we were in Green Bay, WI celebrating our engagement with good friends that felt more like family. The years before that we celebrated apart, me in Phoenix, AZ with family and lifelong friends and JJ wherever the football season took him, usually South Bend, IN.

We have come a long way and ended up in a place that we never could have predicted. And as scary and stressful as the changes were at times, I wouldn't change anything. We are happy, healthy, and loved. We have wonderful families, faithful friends, and the best puppy in the world. Who could ask for more?

I just wonder what state we will celebrate in next year...

Home Sweet Home

I have been lucky enough to take advantage of many of JJ's awesome away game locations this season. This trip to Phoenix was the third away game I have been able to attend, and I took full advantage of the opportunity. I got to Phoenix on Wednesday to spend time with the fam.

When my parents picked me up from the airport I learned that Carolyn had the flu and unfortunately would not be joining us until she got better. Actually, my dad banned her from the house. It sounds a little harsh, but with my mom's upcoming surgery no one wanted to take any chances. So she had to miss out on our Wednesday night cooking class at Sur la Table.

Thursday I went for a 6 mile run along the canal, escorted my my father on a bike. Not only did he carry my water, he was full of monologues (stories) to keep me entertained and helpful tips on running...gee thanks Dad! We also hiked North Mountain that day. One of my favorite Phoenix activities. We also had a wine and cheese evening at JJ's parents house.

Friday we had a dinner party at JJ's parents house with JJ, because the team came in day early to adjust to the time change. We got to see one of JJ's best friends, Mike, and Carolyn because she was feeling better. Saturday was full of shopping with my mom and then another family dinner with the Jansens and the Blisses. Lots of family time.

The best part of the weekend was game day and an awesome win over the Cardinals. What an impressive stadium too. I had never seen it and although I mentioned previously how impressive Cowboys Stadium was, I think University of Phoenix is a little better. Don't tell Jerry I said so.

This post is a little late, but better late than never!

Halloween: Part 2

One of JJ's teammates threw a Halloween party for the team at a bowling alley downtown and we had so much fun. I was really impressed with the costumes the everyone came up with! My favorites included Dog the Bounty Hunter and wife Beth, Captain Jack Sparrow (seriously, he looked exactly like Johnny Depp, eye liner and all), and a cheesy American tourist (complete with a Hawaiian shirt, visor, huge camera, and socks with sandals). Loved it!

JJ and I went as Dwight and Angela from The Office. Unfortunately, a lot of the guys on the team don't watch the show because we were asked if we were A) Mormons, B) Nerds, or C) Jehovah's Witnesses. The correct answer was D) None of the Above. Maybe next year we will pick something more widely known!

The Main Attraction

Day 2 of our Asheville getaway was visiting The Biltmore Estate, I felt like we were in a different world. The house was unreal, the property was gorgeous, the leaves were changing and the weather was perfect.

We toured the house and surrounding gardens, drove out to the farm and played at the petting zoo, visited the winery for a tasting, and then finished up the day having a fabulous meal made from food grown on the estate. I don't think I can do it justice by describing how beautiful it was so I will just share a few of the MANY pictures we took while there.

Overlooking the house, ready to begin our adventure

The Biltmore House

The Italian Gardens, just off the house

Fall colors in the gardens

The farm

The petting zoo and JJ's new bff

Classy grey t-shirt at the wine tasting

Sipping our new favorite bubbly, the Biltmore Blanc de Noir

Fall colors on the estate

Views from the estate

View from the balcony of house

We had so much fun that we ended up buying the yearlong pass so we can go back and see it during different seasons. I can't wait for my family to come visit so I can take them out there to enjoy all the decorations at Christmas time!