Happy Birthday to my HUSBAND!

He is 38 years YOUNG today! 

Ssshhh, don't tell him I told you. 

wink, wink.

Coach was supposed to be gone for tournaments this weekend in the ATL but due to the rainy weather on Saturday, they got rained out after one day and today's games were cancelled.

Which meant that we pretty much got to spend ALL weekend together! 

WHOOP WHOOP! 

Saturday morning I worked and got home around 4ish, just a tad bit after Coach got home.. we got some snuggle down time in front of the TV catching up on football and then I got started on an early birthday (Coach's first being hitched) dinner.

Check out these GORGEOUS shots I got of the sunset before I started on dinner..

Trio.

I really wanted him to be the main focus but because of my awesome photog skills that didn't quite happen.

I got this AHHH-MAAAAZING recipe from one of my dear clients. I would give you the name of it but I never got it! Just the ingredients and cooking directions.

It was so delicious I feel the need to share!

ingredients:

chicken 

Del Monte Italian stewed tomatoes

French Style green beans

minced garlic

oregano

basil

crushed red pepper flakes

heavy whipping cream

pasta noodles of your choice

fresh Parmesan cheese

***Jamie cooks for a huge family so for us I just estimated how much chicken we would need for just two people. I buy Perdue Perfect portion chicken breasts and cut up 3 smaller breasts. I also used fresh garlic. I only needed one can of tomatoes and one can green beans. I used my best guessing skills on the seasonings and use your BETTER guessing skills when adding the red pepper.***

Cut up chicken in bite size pieces, sprinkle with seasonings and minced garlic, making sure to coat evenly. Marinate in refrigerator for at least an hour.

Saute the chicken in olive oil until the chicken turns white.

Add tomatoes, cover and simmer for 3o minutes or until tomatoes are soft and chicken is done.

Drain green beans and add to chicken and tomatoes.

Simmer for another 15 minutes or so with lid on.

Before you are ready to serve, remove lid and add cream, stir to incorporate.

Let sit for 5 minutes before adding to pasta and sprinkle with fresh Parmesan.

***I needed to add a tad more whipping cream to have a creamier sauce.

We also had an Olive Garden type salad and garlic toast.

It's all about presentation.. a little candle light dinner in the dining room!

I am telling you it was SOO DELISH. 

Just make sure you go light on the red pepper flakes.

This one even went in my scrapbook recipe book to make again!

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Sunday we slept in and woke up to a gorgeous day!

The first day of fall couldn't have been any more beautiful and we welcome you!

Coach got his favorite homemade blueberry waffles and got to work on the yard.

The plan was to cut a little grass before him and his Dad went fishing BUT the motor was dead and the charger wouldn't work so no fishing today... which put a little glitch in my planning because there was going to be a delivery made while he was gone.

A few shots around the house.

We were standing towards the back of the yard near the chicken coop when I heard a truck coming down the driveway.. the big surprise was here!

Coach had a puzzled look on his face wondering who in the world was in our backyard.

I explained who it was, a couple of my clients who live in my Mom and Amber's neighborhood, and they were delivering his birthday present and to come check it out!

After handshaking and hellos with Brad and Jason, we walked to the back of the truck and he knew exactly what it was!

He had THE biggest grin on his face!

Checking out the table.. A HUGE THANK YOU to Ben, Amber's husband, for making this table. It is absolutely gorgeous!! And to Brad and Jason for helping with the delivery!

Lets get this thing outta the box!

This was all actually supposed to be delivered on Friday evening but Coach didn't have games scheduled. Then I moved it to Saturday, but that ended up getting moved because of the rain and him being home. By today and with the boat being dead, it just got delivered with him being home, which I guess is the way it was supposed to happen.
I even had to sneak out of the house today to go pick up the EGG.. I couldn't get it any earlier because I had no where to keep it where he wouldn't find it! Me leaving the house with no explaining ended up being PERFECT! Coach was cutting grass at the road, I jumped in my car, pulled down to the end of the driveway hoping he would be down the fence line a good ways and he was!!.. Even his back was to me and I pulled out of the driveway opposite of the was he was going! HAHA! 
When I got back home it even took him a while to ask where I had been but I just said I had to run an errand. He replied with, "Oh you had to run to the flower shop?" Isn't he just too funny? (That's what he does for my birthday.)
I was hoping that with my tinted windows he wouldn't notice a huge box in the back of my car but he did and I just told him not to worry about it!! Nosey rosy.

After unloading and a little bit of time assembling we have one
HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HUSBAND!

Look at that huge smile!

All set up! I had to run back to the store and get charcoal. Wasn't even thinking about that when I was there earlier.

Gettin' it all fired up to go!

While it was heating up he decided to fill some of the holes in the yard.

My MIL brought us a rack of ribs and salmon but one thing Coach was ready to cook, and has been talking about for a while, was the deer tenderloin in the freezer.

With a little team work he stuffed them with cream cheese, added fresh jalapeno, and wrapped them with bacon.

I chopped up some green and red pepper and wrapped up asparagus...

Coach seasoned the salmon..

And the finished product!!

OH. MY. GOSH.

I cannot begin to explain to you how delicious everything was!!

Tomorrow it's those rack of ribs and who knows what else!

We finished our meal with a tad bit of this delicious cookie cake.

After this dessert, all I can say is back on the clean eating tomorrow!!

Shane, by the look on your face and how excited you were after tasting dinner I would say you had a pretty awesome birthday! I am so happy I got to spend it with you and that you were actually able to be home for it. God is great to work those things out. I pray there are many many more birthday's we spend together. I love you to infinity and back!