Currently…

Enjoying…FALL!  This is my favorite time of year and I wish it would never end!  The colors, the food, the sweaters, and the snuggles under warm blankets is something I look forward to all year.  Here in SC it was a long time coming (the picture above was taken when it was 85 degrees outside) but it is cooler now and OH so welcome!

Traveling…to Atlanta and Virginia.  I was at a blogging conference a few weeks ago in Georgia and am now headed to the mountains north of here in Virgina for a food bloggers workshop!  To say I am excited is a vast understatement.

Loving…this chai concentrate.  Bless the Target corporation for stocking the shelves with this.  Chocolate Chai is my hands down favorite, but the classic and Vanilla Caramel Latte are close seconds!  Mix it with skim milk and pour it over ice, or lately, heat it up, and I am a happy woman!  Sorry, Starbucks.  With this in my fridge, I am saving big bucks and I enjoy it whenever I want.  So.  Lovely.

Wishing…I had my stuff.  With most of our belongings still in storage while we build the house, I am starting to miss the rest of my clothes.  And my favorite quilt.  And my dishes…

Excited…to finally be hitting a time in the building process where we get to SEE progression.  In addition, we are tearing down trees and clearing land all by ourselves to create some kind of front yard out of a thick forest.  Doing it ourselves is exhausting, but awesome.  Makes for good family fun!
Eating…any kind of meat.  In particular, roast beef and roast pork.  I could eat it every night for dinner.  Few things make a home smell as good as a roast in the oven!  Throwing in some mashed potatoes is essential.  Please tell me I am not alone in this…

Researching…this mattress company.  Looks cool, right?

Hooked On…PiYo.  I am in love with this workout program.  Kind of a yoga and Pilates fusion.  Check it out here.

Praying…for the state of the world.  Lots of sadness and violence going on.  Maybe no more than usual, but while I am grateful for a healthy, happy, and safe family, my heart has been especially heavy as of late when I see something new in the news.  Lifting up others for safety and peace.

Baking…with apples!  We visited an orchard in the mountains of North Carolina last week and I am still using up the bounty!  The view was spectacular and my official new favorite fall activity is picking apples on a mountain top.  Gorgeous.  I tried a new variety called Gold Rush and really really loved it!!
Discovering…all kinds of awesome stuff in my area.  South Carolina is a lot like MN, in that it just seems to get better and better.  Every time I turn around there is something new to discover and try with my kids.  So blessed that I get to live in such an incredible state!

Thankful…for new friends.  It is tough to move across the country to someplace new, but we have settled in so well!  I have connected with a group of spectacular women and they have been chasing away the stress and loneliness of a new place with laughter, support, and lots of caffeine.

Reading…quite a bit, actually!  Our newly formed book club just finished The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls and I cannot recommend this enough.  Outstanding book.  I need to start on Good Things, by Mia King, but am just now on the last few pages of My Name Is Mary Sutter, by Robin Oliveira.  This book is a period piece about the Civil War and is absolutely spectacular.  Anything else I should be reading now?
A very special thank you to everyone who participated in the Giveaway!  The winners have been contacted via email and I hope that you will all continue to read  and cook from here!  And maybe participate in the next giveaway as well!  This post was not sponsored and no links or companies mentioned above have any connection to me.  As always, all opinions are my own.