Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Happy New Year & 12 Weeks!

Happy New Year!!

2013 was the year of the wedding. 
2014 will be the year of Baby Burnside!
Crazy!

We had a wonderful Christmas shared with all of our family! It was also wonderful getting to take some time off and just rest a little bit. We have been going, going, going without really having time to breathe. And I think I completely wore myself out. So the time spent off was very much needed!

The only picture I captured from Christmas! Baby Burnside's gift from Gama!
12 Weeks

Due date: July 11, 2014
Size of the baby: About the size of a peach!
Maternity clothes: Maternity pants are still a little too big..so I'm sticking with leggings and flowy, maternity friendly tops. And boots. You can pretty much catch me in this every single day at work. 
Gender: Still don't know! However there is a Gender Reveal Party in the works :)
Movement: None I can feel yet!
Sleep: I'm getting sleep..but not very good sleep. Toss & turn a lot!
What I miss: Being able to eat anything. Pregnancy has made me such a picky eater!
Cravings: Coke Icee & chocolate/sweets
Symptoms: Fatigue! I've been soooo tired. Especially with all this running around for the holidays!
Best moment this week: Getting some time off of work!
What I'm looking forward to in the next week: Maybe, quite possibly seeing the end to some of my nausea since I'm done with my first trimester? Maybe? Just maybe?! One can only hope...

Monday, December 23, 2013

Little Nugget Burnside

Until we know the gender...Little Nugget Burnside will just have to do!


I am so excited to start sharing this amazing journey with you! I already stink at blogging. BUT, my hope is that I will update this at least once a week! Not sure if I'll be taking that "pose & hold your belly" pictures each week. Honestly, I have so much extra fluff I'm sure it'll take a little while for Nugget to catch up to me! ;) But I do find this blog to be a great way to document everything during the pregnancy!

Brandon and I were THRILLED to find out that we are parents! We had so much fun telling our families and friends! There was laughter, tears (happy ones of course), and lots of great memories made in those moments. I will cherish them forever!


P.S. My AH-MAY-ZING sis-in-law (Jamie Beverage) took these for us!


I stole this "update" from my friend, Brooke Hayes. For so many years I've read blogs of mothers-to-be and I've seen all different kinds of these update lists. But for some reason, I always liked the way she did it! So thanks, Brooke, for letting me steal this! :)




11 Weeks

Due date: July 11, 2014

Size of the baby: About the size of a lime! Approximately 1.6 inches and .25 oz!

Maternity clothes: Not quite there yet! My pants are getting extremely uncomfortable, so I've been wearing the heck out of some dresses, tunics, & leggings. I'm thinking maternity pants are my next step!
Gender: Not sure yet! Our NP told us today that at our next appointment (in 4 1/2 weeks!!) there's a 90% chance we'll be able to find out the gender then! I. Can. Not. Wait!
Movement: There's definitely movement happening (we actually saw some today in our ultrasound!) but I'm not feeling it yet.
Sleep: For the last 2 years or so, I haven't been a great sleeper...so this whole "not getting sleep thing" wasn't new to me.
What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach! That seemed to help me fall asleep pre-baby.
Cravings: ICE CREAM, orange juice, pickles (typical, I know), cheese, and salt & vinegar chips.
Symptoms: Nausea, nausea, and more nausea. Oh..and fatigue. 
Best moment this week: Seeing Baby Nugget and hearing the heartbeat at the ultrasound on Wednesday! He/she was turning flips in there!
What I'm looking forward to in the next week: Christmas!!! It will be mine & Brandon's first Christmas a married couple and our LAST Christmas without kiddos! :)

[P.S. 12 Week update will come later this week since I'm now technically on my 12th week! I was supposed to post this on Friday. Oops :)]

Until next time...
Mrs. Amy Burnside

Monday, December 9, 2013

Remembering James Voy Cash

“Mr. Brown went to town to buy a load of hay. Mr. Martin came a fartin’ and blew it all away.” 

I was sitting on my Pa-Pa's lap when he first recited that "poem" to me. Kind of a strange way to start out a eulogy, huh? Well when I think of my grandfather, this is the first thing that comes to mind.

James Voy Cash was a father, a son, a brother, an uncle, a grandfather, a teacher, a jokester, a veteran, a deacon, and a solid man of God. He was a man of discipline. Literally. One of his jobs was a warden and superintendent of a school district. Many who knew him knew he was a serious man who loved his family and would do whatever it took to provide for them. But what they didn’t get to see is what I got to see every day.

I spent countless hours at my grandparents’ house. Sunday nights were always the night we would all get together and eat dinner. I can’t remember how many times I would beg my parents to let me stay the night. “Pleeeeease, Mom?” Of course on school nights, I always heard “Not tonight, Amy.” But on the nights we didn’t have school the next day, or during the summer, staying the night at Grandma & Pa-Pa’s house was the highlight of my week. Because who doesn’t love getting spoiled by their grandparents? Except for when Pa-Pa would try and get me to drink buttermilk (one of his favorites) instead of regular milk. Yuck!

I have so many memories, it’s hard to pick a favorite. One of them might be the time my grandparents’ church had a Christmas musical, or a “Christmas Cantada” if you will. My grandfather volunteered to video record it in the back, since he wasn’t in the choir. At the end, the music director turned around and invited the congregation to sing along to “Joy to the World”. So much for the congregation. All you could hear was my Pa-Pa wailing out the words, “JOY TO THE WORLD!” He wasn’t the best singer. (Not like his cousin, Johnny Cash.) But he sure did try.

Another favorite memory is probably the time he had just gotten out of the hospital (after being in ICU for almost 3 months due to complications from a routine surgery). He had lost so much weight so my grandmother decided to take him to Wal-Mart to get some new pants. He got to the front door of the store, when all of a sudden his pants dropped to his feet. My grandmother turned around to check on him and saw what happened. “Oh, Voy!” she said. [That phrase came out of her mouth on a daily basis.] But it didn’t phase Pa-Pa. He picked up his pants, marched straight to the men’s clothing, and picked him out a new pair of suspenders. That’s the kind of man he was. Didn’t really get embarrassed. Just took care of business and moved on with his life.

“Boys? You don’t need boys! You only need me!” Paw-Paw was never an advocate for his granddaughters dating. I’ll never forget the time he first met Brandon. I was more nervous for Brandon to meet Pa-Pa then I was my own father! We walked in the house for the Cash Family Thanksgiving last year. Brandon walked over to him and said “Hey there, I’m Brandon.” Pa-Pa said “Hey Brandon, I’m Amy’s grandpa.” It was then I knew, Pa-Pa approved. If he didn’t, he would have come up with some joke to make Brandon feel awkward.  

I will always remember my Pa-Pa as the sweet, joyful man who LOVED his family so much. You could always count on him to crack a joke, shake his empty cup for more sweet tea, ALWAYS eat dessert, and be there for anything you needed, no questions asked.


Pa-Pa, you will live in my heart forever. I can’t wait to see you again one day in Heaven. Be sure to save a place on your lap for me.



Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Happy 4 Monthiversary!

Well, we've been married for a third of a year! (tomorrow) I say that's a pretty good accomplishment? Ha! I really honestly say these have been the best 4 months of my life! So much change in so little time. But I wouldn't have it any other way!

Brandon has started a new career. He is now a licensed mortgage loan originator for the state of Louisiana! He's working for Nola Lending Group and LOVING it! He was seriously made for this job. It combines his love for numbers, problem solving, and helping people. With that said, be prepared for me to advertise for him like crazy. This wife is NOT ashamed! :) I am so proud of him and all of his hard work to get here!

This was taken right after he passed his test!! What a happy man!!
We have also added a new member to our family. (NO, I'm not pregnant!) Of course, I'm talking about Oreo!! She is half Pug and half Maltese and she has completely rocked our worlds! [in a good way!] Potty training has been pretty tough. But we love her so much and Biship does too! They are the best of friends. They play together. Fight together. Love on each other. It's precious. Getting a puppy has been the best thing we've done for Biship yet! He LOVES having a playmate!! Although, it wouldn't hurt to add us to your prayer list and that we don't kick Oreo all the way back to Arkansas every time she poops in her kennel :)

Just one of the many messes presents we've come home to!
That's all the changes we are sharing for now! Life seems to move so fast. It seems just like yesterday that I was going on my first date with Brandon! A year later we are married, starting new careers, and excited about everything else that lies ahead! I am so blessed to share life with such an amazing man! I thank the Lord for him every day!!

My best friend & soulmate!

Early morning babysitting of the Beverage kiddos! Love them so much!!

Precious moment caught with Shelbi Jo! Love love love!

Until next time...
Mrs. Amy Burnside

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Happy 1 Monthiversary!

We made it through our first month of marriage! I say that like it's a huge accomplishment. I guess when we make it past 73 days, at least we'll beat Kim Kardashian!

The first month of marriage has been great! I really love the apartment we're living in. It's the perfect size. Not too hard to keep clean! And since ours is in the back, we actually get a lot of privacy. It's been the best apartment I've ever lived in!

We've already made two road trips back to Arkansas! One for Mother's Day and the other was this past weekend, so I could sing at my parents church! I'm glad my parents are only 3 hours away! It's do-able in a day trip. And Biship (our dog) likes to visit MawMaw & Pops' house!

One thing I have learned in this first month of marriage has been how truly thankful I am for Brandon. MUSHY ALERT! I just thought I loved him while we were dating. He has been so good to me! He has shown me so much love and grace. He truly is the one God planned for me!! I have been so thankful for Brandon's family! They have been so open to welcoming me into the family! I love how big his family is. It's like automatic friends!!

Here's to 298344857 more months with my love!!!

Mudbug Madness 2013

Road trippin to AR for Mother's Day!

Road trippin to AR this past weekend!
Apparently, we like to take pics in our sunglasses! :)

Until next time...
Mrs. Amy Burnside

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Recipe Re-make: Shrimp Diablo Pizza

Everyone knows one of my favorite cities on earth is Dallas. So much so, that's where Brandon and I went for our honeymoon! We had an amazing time there! We just relaxed, visited a few of our favorite restaurants, did some shopping, went to Top Golf (so so much fun). One of the restaurants we visited was TruFire in Frisco. I first had TruFire when I was in Dallas on a recruiting trip for OBU and I had dinner with my friend, Megan. That night I ordered the shrimp diablo pizza. I've been to TruFire 4 or 5 times since then and I order the exact same thing every time.

It is the most amazing pizza I've ever had in my life.

So I decided that I was going to try and make this pizza myself since Brandon loves it as much as I do! I looked online at the menu to see what all was on the pizza. It listed tender shrimp, diablo sauce, mozzarella, romano cheese, chives, and bacon. Easy enough right?

Today, I will share with you my shrimp diablo pizza recipe. I used a store-bought crust, but I might make my own next time. The one I bought was a little sweeter than the original, but still tasted good! I also opted to make my own diablo marinara sauce (which you could totally buy in the store if you want.) You might be thrown off by the "diablo", but after some researching, I found that it just meant a spicier version of regular marinara. So if you go with store-bought, warm it on the stove & add some red pepper flakes to kick it up a notch. If spicy isn't for you, leave it out. It will be just as yummy!


Ingredients:
1 Pizza crust dough (store-bought or homemade)
31-40 Large shrimp (cooked & deveined with tail removed)
1/2 cup diablo marinara sauce (recipe below)
1/4 cup real bacon bits
2 green onions or chives
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (I used fresh, you could use pre-shredded if you want)
1/2 cup romano cheese (Again I used fresh, but use pre-shredded if you want)

Directions:
So, it's a pizza. More than likely you know how to put a pizza together. But I am going to give you steps, in case you really aren't all that sure. :)
1.) Preheat oven to 350˚ F. 
2.) Take a 13x9 pan, about 1-2 inches deep (or a flat, circular pizza pan) & grease it down. (I just used Pam oil spray.) Spread out the dough on the pan.
*Tip: I would cover the edges (crust) with aluminum foil and bake the dough for about 5-7 minutes to allow it to harden a little before putting on sauce/toppings. Mine ended up a little soggy.
3.) Spread out the marinara sauce evenly on the dough. (You can use as little or as much sauce as you want!)
4.) Sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese on the dough.
5.) Place shrimp on the dough evenly. (I used the whole bag of frozen shrimp, covering the entire pizza.)
6.) Sprinkles the rest of the ingredients on the pizza, starting with the rest of the mozzarella, next bacon bits & green onion, topping it off with the romano.
*Tip: I also melted some butter with garlic powder in the microwave & spread it on the crust of the pizza. It will help it brown up a little more & taste that much better!!
7.) Bake for 15 minutes (or follow directions on store-bought crust).

I served this with fruit salad. [Green apples, green grapes, strawberries & blackberries with a little honey/lime juice on top.] Pizza tends to be a little heavy with all the bread & cheese, so serving it with fruit is the perfect combo! Also, using shrimp on the pizza keeps it a little lighter than the usual pepperoni or sausage.



If you're interested in making your own marinara, here is my recipe:



Ingredients:
1 medium yellow onion, chopped (or 1/2 large onion)
1 large can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoon italian seasoning
1 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon parsley
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flake (leave this out if you don't want any kind of heat!)
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
1.) Heat up about 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat in a medium sauce pan. Once heated, add onion and a pinch of salt & to sweat out the moisture.
2.) Once the onions are soft, add garlic, black pepper, tomato paste, italian seasoning, thyme, parsley & crushed red pepper flake. Mix together, then add crushed tomatoes. And since I live in Louisiana, I sprinkle in a little Tony Chachere cajun seasoning in there too! Helps with saltiness and gives it a little extra kick!
3.) I like my marinara sauce a little thick. If you want yours a little thinner, add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of chicken stock.

This makes up about 6 or 7 cups of marinara sauce. Since you'll only be using 1/2 cup for your pizza, use the remainder over some ravioli or spaghetti. Really, the opportunities are endless!!

Until next time...
Mrs. Amy Burnside

Sunday, May 19, 2013

I'm a Burnside!!

Well, it's official. I'm married & I'm a Burnside! I started this new blog since I'm starting a new chapter in my life. I married the love of my life on Saturday, May 4, 2013. It was the best day! Everything went pretty well. You know..except for getting a flat tire (while I was getting ready) and my groom forgetting my wedding band on stage (sending his best man, JJ, running out to his truck to get it while the bridesmaids were walking in. Typical.) Other than that, it was an amazing day. I was so happy to share our day with our family & friends.

On this blog, I will be sharing about my life as a wife and one day, (no time soon unless the Lord has other plans) as a mother. I loved my All Things Girl blog, but this one will be much more open & broader topics. Of course I will write about girly things every once in a while, because I'm a woman! But this will be more about every day life.

I am so excited to have begun my future with the man of my dreams. I LOVE living in the Bossier-Shreveport area. I love our apartment! I love the church we've been visiting! I'm excited to see what the Lord has in store for us!!

I will leave you with some pictures from our special day! (I don't have the pictures from my photographer yet, so I will share some Instagram pics!)

Brandon with two of his best friends, Cheney & JJ!

Me with all of our flower girls & ring bearers :) cuties!

Pic from ceremony

HONEYMOON! Headed to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse

Two of my sweet nieces, Addyson & Neela

Reception - feeding me cake! 
Father-Daughter dance :)

Ruth's Chris made this just for us! So sweet!

My sister, matron of honor, & best friend!!

Two of my new sister-in-loves, Dawn & Mandi!

Me & my friend Kathryn - she's getting married so soon!
There were so many pics taken this day, but these were a few that I grabbed! Thanks again to everyone who made our day so very special!

Until next time...
Mrs. Amy Burnside ;)