a happy home.

one of our new first christmas ornaments is a blessing for a happy & healthy home.

{thank you to the tuckers!}

we wish they same for all of you.

love love,
kjp.

skyline chili!

one of blakey's favorite foods from his experience in the midwest is skyline chili.

it is a very interesting chili - the ground beef is mixed very finely & unusual seasonings are added, such as cocoa, cinnamon, & cloves.  sounds super weird, right?  it's surprisingly tasty.  {recipe here}

 {spaghetti}

+

 {chili}

+

 {onions}

+

 {cheese}

=

{a skyline chili 3-way!}

love love,

kjp.

our first christmas dinner!

christmas dinner was quite delicious.

i was a little nervous about my first experience with cornish hens, but the little guys were great!  simple recipe from food & wine magazine.  stuff with salt, pepper, & a quarter of a clementine.  carefully stick a sage leaf or two between the breast & the skin.  coat with butter, salt, & pepper.  then roast for 45 minutes.  so good!

pioneer woman's brie sutffed mushrooms were very yummy right out of the oven.  but definitely eat quickly.  cold stuffed mushrooms are not amazing.

pioneer woman's fancy mac & cheese was fabulous.  even though i reduced the heavy cream to half & half, it was still so ridiculously creamy.  next time, i will use whole milk & make it as the main course instead of a side dish.

& then the christmas rum cake.  yummmm...

a very merry christmas with fabulous food.  my kind of day :)

love love,
kjp.

tanky's 2nd christmas!

tanky might have had as wonderful of a christmas as we did.

christmas eve was date night with his mom.

in the morning, he got to snuggle with his dad.

& then he got to open his christmas gift - an american kennel club mallard!  it honks.  he loves it.  & he even kept from tearing a whole in it for 6 hours.  might be a record.

 

a very merry christmas in the porter house.

love love,

kjp.

our first christmas!

 

our first christmas was so very lovely! after a day at the hospital & a short nap, blakey & i got the opportunity to spend the entire holiday together.  i could not have asked for more.

{our beautiful first christmas tree!

most of the presents are for our trip to oklahoma!}

{tanky's 2nd christmas!}

{a white christmas in alabama!!}

we hope your christmas was truly amazing.

love love,

the porters.

merry christmas! love, the porters.

wishing you & yours a joyful celebration of our dear Savior's birth...

love love,

the porters.

our christmas card... if blakey got to pick...

if blakey got to pick, our christmas card would have been this...

{by, the & only, m.press}

he did not :)  our real christmas card tomorrow!

love love,
kjp.

a favorite christmas memory - my friends!

a few more favorites...

2006:

 {fun in the snow with my roomies!
haley & julie & mr. chive-hair snowman}

{OU graduation party @ numbers!}

 

{ugly christmas sweater party with the highschool friends

note: orange sweaters still are not christmasy}

2007:

{blakey & my annual christmas tradition:

a very merry pops @ the civic center!}

{snow tubing @ the ballpark with dr. burget!}

2008:

{before a christmas party @ the skirvin.

the night blakey asked my dad permission to marry me :) }

{blakey's proposal!!}

2009:

{chesapeake christmas lights with blakey & tanky!}

{snow storm 2009.
the t-man loved the snow.}

2010:

 {birmingham christmas party @ the mcgowans'!}

{our texas basket}

super excited to create so many new christmas memories.

love love,

kjp.

a favorite christmas memory - jingle bell jam!

jingle bell jam is my favorite party of the year!  the porters & their friends' families have been celebrating christmas with this carol singing, kazoo playing, & cookie making gathering for many years.  & i am so happy to now be a part of it.

it is truly one of the most wonderful times of the year...

2005:

{our highschool friends}

{the party!}

2006:

 {my cookie making buddies}

{a little christmas caroling}

 {the party!}

2007:

{the infamous "christmas song" duet}

 {the party!}

 2008...did i mention we got engaged this day?

 {the newly engaged couple}

{our families!}

 {the party!}

2009:

 {tanky!}

 {our family!}

 {the party!}

 {& go kappa.}

so sad to miss is this year.  but sing a carol & jingle some bells for us!

merry christmas.

love love,

kjp.

a favorite christmas memory - pictures with julie!

one of my favorite christmas traditions was taking christmas pictures with my sister for our christmas card each year! 

one year, we went to a park & played.  so fun!  love her. 

merry christmas, julie byrd!!

love love,

kjp.