Our Trip to the Oldest City

A couple of weekends ago was a long weekend, thanks to the Superbowl. We decided to take a day trip down to St. Augustine with some friends. It's one of our favorite get away places. It's the oldest city in the US and, as you can imagine, it's full of history.

There's this AMAZING Popsicle place called The Hyppo.  They have all different kinds of flavors and they're sooooooo good.

Look at all the Hippos on the wall!

Juan, a worker at The Hyppo (he was super cool)

Cody and Juan

Cody in front of the mustache popsicle

We went on our way with our super delicious popsicles. We headed Castillo de San Marcos. It's this beautiful fort located near the water in St. Augustine.

Castillo de San Marcos

This is us and some friends outside the fort. Isn't it pretty?

The firing of the cannon at Castillo de San Marcos

After visiting the fort, we made our way to the St. Augustine Lighthouse.

Isn't it gorgeous?!

And of Course, we climbed the lighthouse. You can't just go to one and not climb.

We even got to see a gorgeous sunset at the top.

Cody at the top, with the sun shining on him. Isn't he handsome?

Laura and Me at the top

Cody and me at the top

Overall, we all had an amazing time exploring St. Augustine. If you ever get the chance, visit the oldest city. You won't regret it.

World's Best Alfredo

We absolutely love Italian food. In fact, we eat it at least once a week. We had the habit of going out to Olive Garden or Carrabba's and spending a fortune on pasta. So I had to figure out a way to make delicious pasta at home, that wouldn't cost a ton or take hours to make.

Well, I came up with this AMAZING alfredo sauce recipe. Believe me when I say, it's the world's best. I've been asked by so many people for this recipe and it's often requested by friends and family.

What you'll need:

• 3 Tbs butter
• 1/2 c Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 egg yolk
• 8 oz of heavy cream
• 1 pinch of nutmeg
• salt to taste

How it's made:

• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Add heavy cream. Stir constantly.

• Add in salt, nutmeg, and cheese, stirring constantly to prevent sticking.

• Once cheese is completely melted, mix in the egg yolk.
• Simmer over low heat for 3-4 minutes.
• Serve over your favorite pasta and garnish with a little bit of Parmesan
• Enjoy!

A Devastating Evening

Last night a cell of severe weather cut through Georgia. It hit Fort Stewart pretty hard. Tornadoes tore through the post, tearing up houses, cars, trees, power lines, an elementary school anything in the way. Luckily, no one was injured. Sadly though, many families lost everything.

Photo Courtesy of Christine Krause

 

Photo Courtesy of Christine Krause

Photo Courtesy of WTOC

Photo Courtesy of WSAV

Photo Courtesy of Segar

Photo Courtesy of Segar

But our community has come together in order to help those effected. There has been so many people that are donating things, opening up their houses, cooking meals, offering rides... It's amazing how people can come together in a time of need like this.

Hold your loved ones close, you never know what could happen. Send prayers to these families. They have a long road ahead of them.

How to Survive Any Duty Station

PCS season is among us! I'm sure we've all been there. New orders come in and you learn you're going to a duty station with a horrible reputation. Now what? There isn't anything you can do to change it. So I guess you just have to deal. Right? Wrong. There are ways to make any location bearable.

• Explore the surrounding areas

The town that the post is located may be terrible, but what about the towns 30 minutes, an hour or even 2 hours away. Visit museums, state parks, national parks, local shops. You never know what you might stumble upon. We've found some hidden beaches and an alligator habitat, simply by exploring.

• Make friends.

At times, this may seem impossible. But you can do it. Go to spouse get togethers, join a book club, join Meetup (they have all sorts of groups with different focuses. i.e. photography, crocheting, etc), or host some get togethers at your house like game nights or a bonfire. Living anywhere gets a little easier when you have friends to do things with.

• Have run away days.

Everyone gets cabin fever when they're stuck at home for extended periods of time. So plan run away days. Get in the car, pick a direction and drive. You never know what you'll find. You'll be getting out of town and you'll get to see new things.

• Try local restaurants and stores.

Try restaurants that aren't found anywhere else. Shop local shops. You never know what hidden gems you may find.

• Make the best of the time you have there.

You're only in this location for a short period of time and you'll probably never come back. So make the best of it. You may regret never going to that state park one day.

Weekend Excursions!

Over the weekend, we went exploring! We had a great time. 

On Friday (it was a long weekend), we went to Hunting Island, South Carolina. This is one of our favorite weekend trip locations. It's so beautiful. 

We got to enjoy the sound of the waves crashing on the beach and the seagulls flying overhead. It was a little chilly, but the sun kept us warm. 

We spent the day looking for sharks teeth. We ended up finding 60, the most we've ever found in one day. We also found 2 sand dollars and saw 2 starfish in the water. 

Cody looking for sharks teeth

On the way home from Hunting Island, we saw the sunsetting behind these gorgeous sailboats. So we pulled off at this boat ramp so I could get a picture...or two... or a hundred. but who's counting?

The sun hadn't set completely yet, so we got in our car and drove across the bridge into Beaufort, South Carolina. There's a cute little park on the left as soon as you cross the bridge. It's gorgeous. So I got some awesome shots of the sunset. 

Isn't the sunset gorgeous?

Saturday morning we got up and drove to Tybee Island, Georgia. We live super close to it (about an hour and a half) but we've never taken the time to actually explore it. Well, that has changed. 

Tybee is a lovely area. There's a gorgeous lighthouse on the island that we climbed. 

The stairs inside the lighthouse

Us at the top of the lighthouse

View from the top

We had a ton of fun. The island was beautiful! There's even a military museum across the road from the lighthouse. It's super neat. If you're ever in the area, you should definitely check it out. You can also see inside the light keeper's house.

On the way home, we discovered something that was pretty cool. 

A shipwreck. Isn't it just so cool?! 

Overall, we had a pretty great weekend. If you're near Fort Stewart, go explore! You'll find lots of cool stuff!

Personal Tragedy

So I normally try not to post anything negative on here, but I have to today. I'm from a small town in Kentucky. A town where everyone knows everyone. I grew up with the kids in my graduating class and we're all pretty close. 

This past week, I lost a good friend in a car accident. Justin was an amazing guy. He was probably the sweetest, most caring guy you'd ever meet. He'd take the shirt off his back and give it to you. He was actually my first boyfriend, if you can call a 5th grade romance a boyfriend haha. But we stayed close all of middle school and into high school. After high school, we went our separate ways. I moved to Georgia and he stayed in our hometown. After all, that's what most of the farmers' kids did. 

Right before we went home for Christmas, I talked to Justin. I just wanted to catch up and see how he's doing. He was doing well and it was great to hear. After coming back to Georgia and getting back into the swing of things, I see about a terrible accident that occurred. I searched, trying to find a name. No luck. Then all of a sudden, his name popped up. His cousin was talking about how hard it is on him to lose Justin. It hit me like a truck. I was on the road when I found out. I fought tears, but I finally gave in. How could he be gone, when we had just spoken? I wasn't able to attend his funeral, which shattered me. But my thoughts are with him and I know he's still with us.

As much as my heart hurts, I pray for his family. It's harder on them. I pray that God comforts them in their time of need and heartache. And I ask that you all please do the same.

Rest easy Justin. You'll be greatly missed. 

Cheesy Potato Soup

Growing up, my family went out to eat every Sunday together. It'd be me, my mom, my dad, my grandma and my grandpa. Most Sunday's we went to O' Charley's. Although my entree might change, I always got the Potato Soup, just like my mom.

After I married my husband, I moved to Georgia. There is absolutely no O' Charley's anywhere near where we live. How on earth would I go without my Potato Soup? By creating my own of course. Now this soup may not taste like O' Charley's, but I like it way more. It's not only delicious but it's super easy to make. It's a family favorite in our household!

What you'll need: 

• 1/2 of a large onion, chopped (I use yellow)
• 5-6 large potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
• 3 Tbs butter
• 2 1/2 c chicken stock
• 1 cup shredded cheese (I use Monterrey Jack)

Directions: 

• Chop onions. 

• Melt butter in a pot. Saute onion until translucent. 

• Cut and peel potatoes 

• Add in chicken stock and potatoes. Bring to a boil.

•  Reduce heat. Simmer until potatoes have softened.
• Using a potato masher or fork, mash potatoes. I like to leave some small chunk in my soup. 
• Add cheese. Stir in, until melted. 
• Serve with a little sprinkle of cheese on top. Enjoy!