Thanksgiving Pictures

Matt and I loved spending Thanksgiving together just the two of us. It was a relaxing day just as we had hoped. We enjoyed some yummy breakfast as I shared already and we cooked some delicious foods for our dinner. Here is the proof!

The "before" picture of the turkey

and The "after" picture

Creamed Spinach 

This was delicious. Please try it out!

Scalloped Potatoes

Also delicious. Cheesy but not too cheesy

This is the recipe we used but we left out the paprika

making them "Unsmoky" but it was still yummy!

Dressing- our way

We used the guide in the November issue of Food Network magazine. 

Very helpful. Ours included white bread, diced ham and 

mushrooms. Turned out great. 

All together now :)

Dessert was Sopapilla Cheesecake. 

Please go find this on Pinterest right now and make it!

Cooking away!

Here we are in front of our tree. Our FIRST Thanksgiving was a success. 

Need a laugh? Go watch this video!

The Christmas Tree

Til then-

Did You Hear About the Morgans? 

Rewind: Pumpkin Carving!

Last year, Matt and I carved pumpkins together and it was a blast. This year, we went to the pumpkin patch with Jeff and Mandy while we visited in Knoxville, TN and got a pumpkin there. We had our pumpkin for over two weeks before Matt decided to carve it. Here are some pictures from that adventure.

Poor Pumpkin!

Our Pumpkin was starting to sprout in several places. So cute!

Showing off his handy work!

See that pumpkin on the left? I spray painted it and used black tacks to put the "M" on it! LOVE IT!

Man of Many faces :)

The traditional cheesy "Smile with your pumpkin pictures"

And my turn now :)

Til then-

Did You Hear About the Morgans? 

Our First Fire

The new apartment we moved into in South Carolina is a bit older than our last apartment. This is fine but is just taking a little adjusting. One huge perk is that it has a FIREPLACE! My last apartment before we got married had a gas fireplace but the living room was situated so that it was impossible to have a fire and still have furniture in the living room. Bummer, right!?

Matt was super excited about having a fireplace, as was I. This past Monday, Matt went to W@l-Mart and came back and said "I have a surprise". These surprises always excite me. It can be anything from a new magazine, some chocolate, bubble bath, etc. Well, this time is was an ARTIFICIAL LOG! My manly man was ready to build a fire!

Shortly after his venture out on Monday, he got sick with a stomach bug and was down for the count for nearly 48 hours (sad face). Tonight, he was feeling a tiny bit better so we decided it was the perfect time to build a fire. Here are some pictures! We hope to build bigger and better fires throughout the winter but we have to find a good/cheap place to buy firewood when needed.

Til Then-
Did You Hear About the Morgans?

An update and a start on Thanksgiving fun

I did so well updating each day until we moved last week. As you know, when you move life gets crazy! We have been here for a week and are settled in well. I'll post pictures of the apartment we live in as well as our Christmas decorations ASAP.

But first, I want to share about Thanksgiving. I don't have a ton of time or access to all of the food pictures we took yet but I wanted to share our Thanksgiving breakfast for today.

We had Pumpkin Spice Cake Muffins with Chocolate chips!

I'm sure if you are on Pinterest you have seen them floating around everywhere. I saw them a ton right before Thanksgiving but then someone blogged about making them and I was hooked. The common recipe doesn't have chocolate chips but I think it was the perfect addition.

Recipe:

1 box of Spice Cake mix

1 15 ounce can of Pumpkin

1 cup of milk chocolate chips

Mix cake mix and pumpkin together with a hand mixer. Fold in chocolate chips. Fill muffin tins/cups 2/3 full and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. They were divine. I don't have the picture of ours available. Here is one from Pinterest.

via

We loved them and I hope you will too. Let me know if you try them. By the way, I plan to make them again soon with chocolate cake mix. The pumpkin was so subtle, I think they would be good all year 'round!

Til Then-

Did You Hear About the Morgans?

National Blog Posting month Take 19

Tonight is our last night in our apartment in Montgomery. Can't wait to head out tomorrow. Today was full of cleaning and spending time with family. We were treated to steak and cake (two of my faves). Good times for sure. Next blog post will be from South Carolina. Eek!

Til then-
Did You Hear About the Morgans?

National Blog Posting Month Take 18

Today we pack up our 16 foot moving truck to prepare for our journey to South Carolina!!! Will everything fit into the truck? We shall see. :-)

Til Then-
Did You Hear About the Morgan's?

National Blog Posting Month Take 17

Thanksgiving is 1 week away!

In some ways, it doesn't seem possible that it is already the end of November. In other ways, it's not surprising at all.

This Thanksgiving is a special one because it is a "first" one. This Thanksgiving is our first Thanksgiving as a married couple!! We are so excited to spend the day just the two of us.

We have been in the midst of such a large transition (and still are) with my quitting my job here, deciding to move, preparing to move and within the next few days, actually moving! We are so ready to be in Spartanburg and be settled into our new place and our new adventure. It is HARD living with everything you own in boxes as you prepare to move.

Tomorrow, we load our moving truck with all of our material belongings. We will spend two days cleaning our apartment and saying the last of our good-byes to Montgomery. We will stay Sunday night with Matt's grandparents and then we will move in to our place on Monday morning.

Tuesday will be spent getting Internet hooked up, a job meeting/interview, HUGE grocery shopping trip (which I'm thrilled about!) and putting up our Christmas decorations!!!

We are considering the next 10 days after that our time of relaxation, refreshment and just enjoying our time
Together. It's sure to be wonderful!

Til then-
Did You Hear About the Morgan's?

National Blog Posting Month Take 16

Just a little funny for the day...

The newest addition to Bryant Denny Stadium. :-)

National Blog Posting month Take 15

Today is a great day! There are many reasons why but one important one is that I'm going to dinner with a dear friend tonight and we are having Mexican food!!!! Woohoo! Keva and I are going to have a blast. Going to miss her when we move

Til then-
Did You Hear About the Morgan's?

National Blog Posting Month Take 14

One week from today we will move into our second home (apartment) together and this time it's in South Carolina! We are super excited!

Til then-
Did You Hear About the Morgan's?

P.S. I want to post so much longer than this but our Internet still isn't working so this is all on my phone! Longer posts to come next week. Hopefully with South Carolina pictures!

National Blog posting month Take 13

One week from today (Sunday) we will be driving to South Carolina!

Til then-
Did you Hear About the Morgans?

National Blog Posting Month Take12

I wanted to post a long post today but our Internet is not working for some crazy un-fixable reason. I cannot
Do it easily from my phone.

However, I do want to say that Matt and I were so blessed today to be a part of an answered prayer that we have prayed for (and alongside) a dear friend. It's the beginning of a story that we have prayed that the Lord would write. Can't wait to see what happens next.

Til then-
Did you hear about the Morgan's?

National Blog Posting Month Take 11; Veteran's Day Edition

11-11-11

Happy Veteran's Day! Thank you to all of the men and women who have dedicated their lives to serving our country and protecting us. We (the Morgan family) are forever grateful to you! It seems there is so much I want to say about Veteran's day but nothing seems appropriate enough or sufficient enough so I'll leave it at that.

THANK YOU!

Til Then-
Did You Hear About the Morgans?

National Blog Posting Month Take 10

Thought this would be fun/silly to do for the day




Here are the ABC's of Matt and Me! 


*Some of our answers will be the same. If they are different, they will be separated by a ( / ) and Matt's will be first. 


Ambition: to sell a photograph of my own / to be an awesome wife
Bad Habit: biting my fingernails / biting fingernails and pointing out others faults
City:   Currently Montgomery, Alabama; soon to be Spartanburg, South Carolina
Drink: Mountain Dew / Sweet tea on special days, otherwise, Water
Education: BS of Finance/ BS and MS in Speech Language Pathology
Food: Ribeye steak from Ruth Chris / Hamburger and French fries courtesy of the Mr. 
Guilty Pleasure: The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Hometown: Mt. Holly, NJ / Fluker, Louisiana
Ice Cream: MInt Chocolate Chip / Cookies and Cream
Jonesing for: Pizza and Hot Dogs / Mexican
Kryptonite: being sleepy
Look-a-like: neither of us have one...shucks
Movie:  The 5th Element / Steel Magnolias or Pretty Woman
Nickname:  hard one: Bud, maybe / Les, Lesilhogger, Big Red, Carrot Top, Lelee, Nes, Nestle, Les Les, Ms. It, Red, Red Head
Obsession:   each other (cheese but true)
Perfume:  none, duh / Burberry
Quirk: Perfectionist / too many to name, example: no dishes can be left in the sink 
Regret:  none
Starbucks: Eggnog Latte / Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate
Thrift Find of the Year: n/a but stay tuned for next year...this is an upcoming adventure
University:  LSU
Vacation: Oregon (honeymoon spot and no doubt best trip so far)
Wine: best left in the bottle aka none
X: no comment
Years: 25 / 27
Zen:  I don't know / cooking and enjoying an awesome meal with the Mr. 


Til Then-
Did you Hear About the Morgans? 

National Blog Posting Month Take 9

Wow, I really can't believe it's November 9th already. That means that the Mr. and I will pack up and move in 12 days. It is CRAZY exciting that God has given us this opportunity for a new adventure and we are grateful although we don't know very many of the details.

At the same time as it is exciting, it is a bit bittersweet too. Matt and I will move from the only "home" we have known together. We have lived in this apartment in Montgomery since we returned from our honeymoon so it's a bit sad. HOWEVER, we will not really miss our neighbors. They are incredibly loud at the worst times and we won't miss that. We know it's one of the joys of living in apartments and that it is possible that our next apartment may have a noisy neighbor too. So we will just deal with it until it's time for us to have a house of our own.

12 days left in Montgomery. 12 days until we move into our new apartment in Spartanburg. 13 days until we put up our Christmas tree and 15 days until we celebrate our first Thanksgiving as a married couple. Can't wait to cook that meal!

Til then-
Did You Hear About the Morgans?

National Blog Posting Month Take 8

Just some ramblings for the day!

This National Blog Posting Month is pretty fun. I hope I can keep it up throughout the next 22  days.

Matt and I are planning to write a 101 in 1001 list to begin on January 1, 2012. This will be an excellent way of personal growth as well as having lots of fun.

I loved the Blog Link-up that I participated in last Friday over at Kelly's Korner and I found so many blogs that are like this one. I'm excited to follow those blogs and participate more with them in the near future.

We are moving in 12 days! AHHHHHHH AND WOOOOOHOOOOOO!!!! Matt and I are so excited but you know any change can be slightly nerve-wracking just because of all of the details.

Our apartment is currently overtaken by boxes which is both a good and not so good thing. It's good because it means we are essentially packed up 2 weeks before we move but it's not so good because I feel like the boxes are closing in on me! :)

Well, that's all for today.

Til Then-
Did You Hear About the Morgans?

A neat God-moment

Last year for Christmas I gave the Mr. (who was not the Mr. yet) a calendar. For each month, there was something special that we would do for that month. Also, on various days throughout each month there were written smaller special/fun things to do.

On the calendar for today was "Ice Cream". This would normally not be a big deal but since our budget is so tight as we prepare to move and we aren't really grocery shopping much, we don't have any. And we don't really need to go out and buy any either. We decided we would just wait until another time.

WELL, today, Matt got to work and in the break room there was a sign that said "Great Job making sales plan last week!! Help yourself to some ice cream and all the fixins!!" Matt was able to eat ice cream on his break and because of how much there was left, he was able to bring me some too!

I WAS IN HOG HEAVEN!!!!

God is GOOD, I must confess!

Til then-
Did You Hear About the Morgans?

National Blog Posting Month Take 7

For those of you who know me, you know that I LOVE TO COOK.

It's a part of who I am. My grandmother loved to cook and was excellent at it. My mom doesn't love to cook but she can cook some great dishes when she does. One of my mentors, Ellen, is an excellent cook and makes dishes from nothing it seems. It's just part of who I am.

However, since we made the decision to move to South Carolina, we have really been watching our pennies and also limiting our grocery shopping to almost nothing in an effort to eat all we have before we move.

I have actually been pretty impressed with the dishes I've made from such limited ingredients. supercook.com has definitely helped!!!! That being said, I'm looking for some new recipes for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays since I'll actually be able to cook again.

Share with me your favorite recipes. Appetizers. Entrees. Salads. Desserts. etc


Can't wait to get cookin' again!

Til then-
Did You Hear About the Morgans?

National Blog Posting Month Take 6

Wow, It's November 6th! That just seems impossible!

Tomorrow is November 7th (obviously) and November 7th is a very special day. It is the birthday of one of my oldest and dearest friends. Jill Michelle Himel Soderstrom.

Jill and I have been friends since pre-school. Best friends through thick and thin. We have been next to each other even when we were (are) far away. It's a friendship that truly is God-ordained. No other way to explain it.

I'm so proud of who Jill has become as a woman, a wife, a professional, and a daughter of Christ.

She is incredible!

Happy Birthday, JILL!!! Love you to pieces.

Til Then-
Did You Hear About the Morgans?

National Blog Posting Month Take 5

I'm exhausted but I wanted to blog for the day and say:


GEAUX TIGERS!!!



Til then-
Did You Hear About the Morgans?

Guest Posting

If anyone who reads our blog ever does guest posts and would like to post on our blog and/or likes to have others post on their blog, let me know! I'm very interested in both!

E-mail me @ slpleslieanne(at)yahoo(dot)com


Til Then-
Did You Hear About the Morgans?

National Blog Posting Month Take 4

Today, I'm not feeling real well so this post will be quick! I've linked up over on Kelly's Korner blog so if you are reading this from there, please enjoy! Can't wait to connect with new friends!

Til then-
Did You Hear About the Morgans?

Fasting

Fasting....Fasting....Fasting

Why in the world would The Morgan Family fast? Well, there are MANY reasons that we would fast but the main reason and the only one that matters right now is that God told us to. Matt and I are in the middle of the biggest transition, so far, in our married lives. This transition is happening over the next two months as we move from Montgomery, Alabama to Spartanburg, South Carolina and start new jobs etc. This is a SUPER exciting time (and uncertain to an extent) and we are grateful for the opportunity to go through this new door.

As we transition, we are believing God for BIG BIG BIG things (in every sense) and because of that we are fasting.

Matt and I will choose to keep all but one thing we are fasting from to ourselves. However, we wanted to let those who read this blog know that we are fasting from Facebook through the end of the year. Please know our twitter accounts are currently linked to our Facebook pages so you will likely still see updates from us.

Please join us in praying as we transition. We love you guys!

Til then-
Did You Hear About the Morgans?

National Blog Posting Month Take 3

"Can you listen to music and write? What was the last song you heard?"

NO! I absolutely can't write on my blog while I listen to music. If I do, I find myself typing "Today we were at the park, don't stop believing" (while listening to Journey). It doesn't turn out well for me! Although I can't do both at the same time, I LOVE music. However, recently I have not listened to much music lately as my time in the car has been limited. 

The last song I listened to was "Reign in Us" by Starfield. I listened to this song as I was driving to my interview the other day. I LOVE THAT SONG! It has been a favorite since the first day I heard it. 

On a completely separate note, I read this article last night and Matt and I were both appaulled. It's so sad when people "bear the name" of Christ and react in this way. It is shameful. Read the link below about a group of people who are picketing the funeral of a fallen soldier. 

http://dothan.wsfa.com/news/news/122870-westboro-baptist-picket-fallen-marines-funeral#.TrG6IEJUcDg.facebook

Til Then-

Did You Hear About the Morgans? 

National Blog Posting Month Take 2

Prompt for this day:
If you knew that whatever you ate at your next meal would be your last meal, what would you eat?

I thought it would be fun if Matt and I answered this together. So you'll get my answer and his today.

Okay, this is hilarious. I decided on my answer then asked Matt what he would eat and he answered exactly the same as me. :)

Matt and Leslie: Ruth Chris' Ribeye, Scalloped Potatoes, Fried Green Tomatoes, and Chocolate Cheesecake.

Oh my!

Til then-
Did You Hear About the Morgans?

National Blog Posting Month

November is National Blog Posting Month with the goal being to write on your blog everyday for the entire month. For me, I'm not sure this will be possible, not because I don't want to, but because we are moving this month and I'm not sure it's will happen because of that. Some days I will utilize a prompt for my posts and others I just freestyle :).

Today, I wanted to say why I love to write on this blog. This blog is an outlet for me. It helps me write down some things for us to remember and show our joys, struggles, exciting times with everyone who reads. I realize that only a few people read our blog on a regular basis and that doesn't bother me at all :). This blog is also the place where I plan to write about our children once we have them. Write about our anniversaries. Write about new paths God takes us on.

I'm pretty excited that in less than 3 weeks, God is taking us to South Carolina. I think I'll LOVE blogging there.

Til then-
Did You Hear About the Morgans?