Sweet and Spicy Bacon Chicken

This recipe is so easy and delicious!

Trim chicken breast and pound to even thickness.
Season with salt, pepper and chili powder.
Roll chicken breasts in brown sugar.
Wrap each breast with a piece of bacon.

Put in baking dish lined with foil. Bake at 400 for 40 min.

I put olive oil in my baking dish and I wish I hadn't. Kyle says I should have cooked the bacon a little bit before I wrapped the chicken so that it would have cooked completely, and I think he is right. But if you like slightly undercooked bacon, just do it my way.

Transitioning

It wasn't my plan to move in this quickly after we got engaged (I haven't stayed at my house since the night he put a ring on it) but once his roomie moved out, it just made sense to us for me to write my last rent check and move in. So for the last few weeks, I have slowly been transitioning over. First came all the clothes since that was one of the most annoying things about being in two places, never having all my clothes accessible at all times. I have been going over to my house after work and grabbing loads of things. The last big items are my couches and a bench that my grandpa made for my Deeya years ago. We have been using the empty spare bedroom as a holding ground for everything. I tried to unpack boxes daily so I wouldn't get behind, but I am behind anyway.

Along with moving and making plans for a wedding, there is something else that is interrupting my life. The TV in the bedroom. Kyle likes to fall asleep with the TV on. I do not. When Kyle is out of town or when I stayed alone at my house, I do watch a little TV before bed, but usually turn it off and quickly fall asleep. The sound of the TV is really distracting to me and I find myself dozing off but waking up when an ESPN sportscaster yells about something.

But even with the TV, I am loving where I am right now. I told Kyle the other night how wonderful it feels to be in once place, with him. We have a pretty good routine down.

I have to be out of my house by Monday. I will spend the next two evenings there packing up. My mom and dad are coming Sat to move the last load. I cannot tell you how grateful I am to have parents that have helped me move for the 5th time in my life!

This past Saturday, I went to Stillwater to spend the day relaxing with Elaina, Sammi and Harlan. It was so nice to just be with them with no time schedule or agenda. We sat outside and had drinks. Walked and talked. Ate dinner, had more drinks and then called it a night well before any of the college kids could come out and harass us. I also went to 2 bars in Stillwater that I never visited in college.

We got up early Sunday and drove home. I planned on being productive and unpacking boxes but I was just too tired. I took a nice nap, watched TV and ate wings and pizza for dinner. That is what I call a perfect Sunday.

Vendors

Did you know when you create a page on The Knot, it gives you this handy checklist with items that need to be completed by a certain date? That checklist can be very handy, or it can drive you insane. I kept looking at a few items on the list knowing that I (we) needed to complete them. Here is the progress I have made since my last post:

1. I ordered the Save the Dates (weddingpaperdivas.com)
2. Booked a photographer (emailed him this morning)
3. Signed my contract with a DJ
4. Kyle has made great progress on picking a rehearsal dinner spot
5. We are looking into a few hotels that we like in downtown and one very close to the venue
6. I picked a bridesmaid dress. 2 are ordered, 2 more will be ordered next Sunday after the bridal show, and my Dallas girls will order theirs in Dallas


Cake testing will be done at the bridal show, along with looking at invitations. Kyle and I need to register and look into flowers. I would say that being engaged for one month this past Monday, we are doing pretty well on planning and completing!

Kyle's parents were in town this past week and did so much around the house. The upstairs bathroom was the main project. It went from espresso brown cabinets and bright red walls, to white cabinets and light green walls. It is beautiful! I will take pics once I have finished decorating it.

This week has been jam-packed with stuff to do and I think Sunday will be my only day without a scheduled activity, which means I will have to spend most of my day at my house packing boxes and getting ready to move. Forgive me if I take a few days in May and check out of life. I feel like I really need some down time in the near future. But with all that said, I would not change one second of my hectic life right now.

To end, Kyle's very close childhood friend Lance Snyder passed away Friday, April 13th. Lance was diagnosed with brain cancer in October 2010. You can read more about Lance and his battle with cancer here

To Do's

I never said this wouldn't turn into a wedding blog! Just stick it out until October and then it should go back to normal old recipes, pics, and random postings of drugstore beauty products.

As mentioned in my last post, we booked our venue and I ordered my dress. Two big things crossed off the list. But that list doesn't stop there and it has no mercy for a wedding planned in 7 months. We can easily get this wedding planned, but there isn't really a whole lot of time for daydreaming on my end.

Here are some of the major things I need to get completed:

Flowers
Registry
Bridesmaid dresses
Save the Dates
Invitations
Photographer
DJ
Rehearsal dinner location
Hotel 
Cake

Also, on my list is choosing a menu at our venue. But I think I need to complete 2 or 3 of the things above before I tackle that.

I at least have an idea of where we want to price flowers (Sam's), we are b-maid shopping this weekend, my aunt has a great DJ in the Dallas area that is willing to drive up for my wedding, and there is a hotel close to the venue.
The soon to be in-laws are in town this weekend and I am taking them to dinner at one of the places I have in mind for the rehearsal dinner. I have about 4 photographers that I am trying to decide between. And I am going to a wedding show in 2 weeks and I can look into paper products (save the dates, invitations, etc) there. We can also taste some cake at the wedding show. I have a pretty good idea of what I want, and Kyle doesn't want a typical groom's cake and we know what we have in mind for that.

I can't shake the feeling that I have to get everything completed immediately. Oh and let's not forget that I have to move. I need to be out of my house by April 30th. That is 21 days from now. Yikes.

We got both of our parents together this weekend to look at the venue and eat dinner. Here is my dad and Kyle's mom trimming the giant piece of meat to cut into filets. My dad is using his pocket knife...just as a real hunter would do.

 Also, be sure to check out our wedding website. I have always loved these and was so excited to start one of our own! I will make sure to update all information as we continue to move forward in the wedding planning!

Heathcock/Gatewood wedding

Movin and Shakin

Things are really moving quickly! We have been engaged 18 days and I have ordered my wedding dress, picked a date and booked a venue. I have read plenty of times to not start planning right away and to just enjoy being engaged. I am enjoying being engaged...by planning right away. We are having a short engagement so I really needed to start planning. Several places in Tulsa were already booked and it can take up to 4 months for a wedding dress to come in, and then you have to plan time for alterations.

Here are the details I will share:

When: 10/6/2012
Where: Tulsa Country Club
Who: Heather Heathcock and Kyle Gatewood (in case you didn't already know our names)

I would link a picture of my dress but that would take all the fun out of presenting myself at the wedding.

Next up, picking out bridesmaid dresses for my ladies. Kyle's parents, Carl and Mary Lou, are coming into town for Easter so we will have plenty of wedding talk time while they are here. Now we can take them to the venue and start planning our food.

Besides ordering my dress and deciding on what venue I wanted, (Kyle hasn't seen it but gave me the go ahead if I was 100% sure I wanted it) I had a very busy weekend.

Friday night I went to Tulsa Country Club and visited with Jerry, the events coordinator. I loved it, the floor plan was open, they had a rain backup plan and it was way cheaper than the Oaks. I was sold.
I went to Old Navy and bought myself some stuff and Lauren some birthday presents. When I got home, I realized I really like striped shirts.

 Saturday, we hit the road early for a trip to Moliere Bridal in OKC before soccer games. Laina came to help out and thankfully she and my mom were able to help me pull the trigger when it came time to make a decision on a dress. And I am so glad I did it. I have looked at the online picture of it about 50 times since I ordered it.

Then we went to soccer, Lauren's tennis match, Easter egg hunt, followed by dinner at Shiki for Lauren's birthday. She will be 8 tomorrow. Sniff.

Sunday I cleaned the house, went to the gym, and picked Sammi up and we went to the Golf Club of Oklahoma. Gorgeous place, way out of my price range.
Sunday night I made my lunch for the week. These chicken croquettes are my new favorite thing. Have I posted about them before? I can't remember. Here is the recipe

Future tennis star

Watching Lauren play tennis

Cheese

Easter Egg Hunt

Piggy tails

I can't believe she let the bunny wrap his arm around her

Birthday dinner

Birthday girl hat

 This last pic is one of Kyle that his mom sent home for the slideshow we will play at the rehearsal dinner or wedding. How cute is this?!

Ceremony site