Cobbler and Pie

I need an excuse to bake cobbler or pie into little mini jars. It would be a great party favor, or shower dessert.

I saw the idea here:
http://www.notmartha.org/archives/2010/04/19/cobbler-baked-in-jars/







I wish I had seen this idea before my wedding because I would have given these as favors. Such a sweet idea. If anyone knows of any reason (excuse) for me to make these, please let me know.

Home Depot

D and I went to home depot on Saturday afternoon.
We love going to home depot. We could spend hours there together. We like to fantasize about what we could buy and do to fix up our house. We can't afford to make any changes right now but we like to talk about what we would do if we had a little money for improvements. This trip we were going to make a special purchase. A leaf blower. When we walked to the leaf blower aisle, D saw the leaf blower backpack contraption. He told me to put it on and see if it fit. So I did, and I couldn't stop laughing. I told D if he bought that leaf blower, I would blow the leaves all day. It was SOOOO much fun. He was just joking because he didn't think I would actually put it on, but I showed him. I wanted that damn thing, it was awesome. When I was wearing that leaf blower, I felt important, like I had a job to do. I felt like I should work at the white house...it was a great feeling. But we didn't get that leaf blower. It was too expensive for the job we needed to do. Girls aren't supposed to get excited about tools and machines, but I was super excited about the leaf blower. When we got home, D disappeared in the back yard for a while while I was weeding the flower beds. He blew ALL the leaves and didn't leave me any. Next time, it my time, and I can't wait.

Big Bass Splash

It took a little longer to get this post up, sorry for the delay.

I need a manicure and a pedicure bad...yes I still LOVE those.

Anyway, I'm home from my mini vacation to Lake Sam Rayburn. We've gone for the last three years to fish for bass in a three day tournament. It's a big deal if you like bass fishing. Lake Sam Rayburn is the biggest lake in Texas and happens to be in the most awesome part of Texas, East Texas. I kid, I kid. But it is crazy big. And East Texas is the best people watching place ever. There is an abundance of smoking pregnant teenagers, and people with missing teeth. But really, this tournament is a serious deal, there are thousands of anglers that travel from all over the place to fish in the tournament and the prizes usually are in the $100,000s.

We left on Wednesday afternoon for our 5-6 hour drive to East Texas. I hate the drive there. It's soooooo long. I usually take books and magazines to read, always forgetting that the majority of our drive is in the dark. Usually by the time we get there, my eyes hurt from playing sudoku on my iphone. That can't be good for me. Anyway, I love riding in the truck with D. We have a great time singing and laughing and talking about random things. He even has an interest in gossiping every now and then. He's pretty awesome. I guess it's better to indulge me while he's stuck in the truck with me. It's also a good idea to have snacks because I get a little cranky when i'm hungry. I try to control it, but sometimes the hungry monster comes out and I can't control him and I can be a total B word. If you know me, you know what i'm talking about, I'm not exaggerating.

So, the weekend was really fun. Getting up at 4am, on the water by 4:50am. Wake up from my nap about 7:30am and fish until 2pm. Drink beer from 2:30-12am, then wake up and do it all over again. I'm exhausted. Why do we do this to ourselves? Because we LOVE it. We have the best time and by the end of the weekend it feels like we've only been there for 5 minutes.

Last year I caught a 7.99 lb fish and won some money, well, this year I won again!! My fish was significantly smaller (4.85lb), but I still won money. It was so exciting. I don't know how I got so lucky. D is a great net man and taught me everything I know. I feel bad that I caught the fish and he didn't, it's his turn I think. But he was so excited for me. Mil (mother in law) caught a 6 1/2 lb fish on Saturday and won some money and our friend that owns the lake house we stay at caught a 6 lb fish and also won money. It was a very lucky weekend for the group of us that go.

I have to say, fishing isn't always fun. There are several things that I don't like about it.

1. getting up before the sun
2. fishing in the rain and lightning
3. touching fish
4. no potty
5. bugs
6. "It's called fishing, not catching" and I hate it when I don't catch anything

Then there are several things I enjoy about fishing

1. spending time with my husband
2. stress relief, it's very relaxing
3. it makes my husband happy that I enjoy his hobby
4. it can be very exciting
5. the water is peaceful
6. sometimes you can get a tan

I took pictures on the boat this weekend when I was bored and needed a break from fishing. Please enjoy.

Dinner

I was so scared to meet D's family. I'd met his twin brother, S, and his parents before. But everyone (all 5 of them) would be in one place at one time to have dinner. He told me not to worry, they would be nice to me, and I knew it would be a little awkward since I was a little different. I have this social anxiety that makes it even more difficult to act like a normal person in uncomfortable social situations. And by uncomfortable, I mean every social situation. It's like my vocabulary disappears and all I do is make humming noises. It's a REAL problem, trust me. So I dressed as nice/casual as I could and we went to D's parents house for dinner. We all sat around outside and talked while the steaks cooked on the grill. Everything was going really well. I had a few beers and the anxiety was starting to go away a little. When it was time to eat someone told me "don't be bashful", so I made my plate. We had to pull chairs from around the house so everyone could sit at the table. They were very polite and gave me a chair at the head of the table and didn't make me sit in an office chair that was too short for the table. I'm short enough as it is and I at least wanted to be able to see over the table, so it was very nice for them to give me a normal chair, so I thought. I didn't know when I sat down that the chair they had given me to sit in was broken. With everyone sitting at the table, I sat down and the chair broke and my ass landed on the floor. Everyone started laughing. It was the most humiliating thing to ever happen to a girl trying to make a good impression. D's mom felt bad I could tell, and she apologized over and over, but everyone else couldn't help but laugh. I would have laughed too if it had happened to someone else. I turned beet red and got up off the floor. D gave me another chair and we ate dinner.

It was a strange feeling for me. To go from completely awkward and uncomfortable to completely humiliated. It was nuts. How does that happen? and why do these things happen to me? I'm already moaning at these people because I'm so nervous, why? What did I do to deserve this? Well, at least nothing can get any worse. This is the worst! And with that thought, I felt relief. Nothing else can go any more wrong then what has already happened so you might as well laugh at yourself and move on. And that is exactly what I did. It was hilarious and we all still laugh about what happened that night, five years ago, the first time I came over for dinner.

D and I are going out of town tomorrow for a fishing tournament at Lake Sam Rayburn. I know right, fishing tournament?!?! Yep, that is one of the many things that I love to do because of D and I have awesome beginners luck. I'll post pictures of our adventure throughout the weekend.


I caught an 8 pound bass last year and won $1500.

What have I gotten myself into?

D and I met in a night class our last semester in college. We were both business management majors and therefore had many of the same classes throughout our 4 1/2 years at Texas State. I'd seen him around, but that was really all there was to it. When we met (for real) in our night class, we hit it off. I can't tell you what class it was, or what the professor's name was because I didn't really care at that point, I was ready to graduate. I do remember pizza one night in the class though (and I never forget pizza) and I do remember a group project but everything else, all the details or what grade I made in the class are all a blur. I did pass, I know that. And so did D.

Since we started dating in the fall, D and I didn't spend much time together on the weekends. He would travel to his ranch that seemed to be a million miles away and do God knows what out in the woods with beer and guns. This was a very intimidating time for me because not only was he doing scary things with wild animals and beer and guns in the woods, but his whole family would go. It wasn't like he was going with a bunch of 20 year old guys, just buddies going to get drunk and dangerous. But his FAMILY was there with him, doing scary things in the woods, killing animals. There were a million thoughts running through my head...blood, guns, beer, camo?, cute camo clothes, bambi, bambi's mom, Who are these people?.

So who are these people?

The leader of the family, the strongest, most loving, toughest woman I know...My mother in law, LD. We'll call her Mil on this blog.

TD is D's dad. He's extremely hardworking, loyal, has a huge heart and an inappropriate sense of humor (that makes everyone laugh). Once he gets tickled by something he can't stop laughing and sings one liners from songs over and over because it never gets old. We'll call him Fil on this blog.

D3, D's little brother. Sweetest, most caring 20-something guy around. Loves his Momma and is passionate about fishing and the other lady in his life, C.

D2, D's fraternal twin brother is extremely smart and serious. Intimidating at times and is the best bargain shopper I know. He's kinda quiet but a great guy with a huge heart.

D2 is married to S, and they have a beautiful son CR. They were high school sweethearts and are the cutest couple to ever make a cute baby. She's a very generous, kind person and we share a love for cooking and baking.

It was an awkward and sometimes extremely embarrassing transition in my life getting to know and love these people that are now my family.

I'll post about my first dinner with the family, tomorrow. Stay tuned...


D and I in Colorado, 2008, engaged for 1 month.

Here it goes

My first blog post.
What am I supposed to write about? What will people be interested in reading? I'm not really sure where to start and I'm not really sure anyone will find my life or activities interesting. I probably wouldn't if I were you...actually I probably would because it doesn't take much to catch my attention before I'm obsessed, and I'm AWESOME.

So here it goes...

My name is Celia. Celia Anne ...uh Doyle. It was Celia Anne Vernon until February 20, 2010, when I married my lovely husband D Doyle. It's funny to describe him as lovely because I don't think anyone else would. He's adorable, hilariously funny, kinda gross sometimes. He's clever, dirty, hardworking, and very sensitive. He loves kids, his family, fishing, and me and he's lovely. He's a keeper.

We met in college at Texas State University during our senior year. He had an awesome sense of humor and so did I (he he) so it worked. We dated for 2 1/2 years before he proposed, then married a year and a half later. Here we are almost two months into our marriage and I'm starting a blog. He doesn't know yet so shhhh. Keep it on the down-low.

When D and I started dating back in 2005, we didn't have much in common. I'm from Austin, graduated from Austin High (go Maroons!!), liked to go to bars and dance with my girl friends. I enjoyed getting manicures and going shopping. Dustin is from Dripping Springs,(proper pronunciation is Drippin) graduated from Dripping Springs High School, the only high school in the growing city, enjoyed hunting and fishing, hanging with his buddies and drinking "natty" light. He carried a knife in his pocket, worked as an electrician and didn't care what anyone else thought about him. It's funny how they say "opposites attract". Who says this? I have no idea, people like me, I guess, but I believe in this 100%. And maybe we aren't opposites, but we didn't have anything in common when we started dating. It's really amazing how things turn out.

So, how did they turn out? Do I still get manicures? The answer when I return....

For now, please enjoy Juanita.