How to Make Peanut Butter Balls

When I was little, the three things I remember making with my mom at Christmas were icebox fruit cake in the shape of Rudolf (cool to make but not my favorite), Mounds balls dipped in chocolate (yuck, I hate coconut), and peanut butter balls - dipped in chocolate of course. Y.U.M!  So since I have been bragging here is the recipe! 
You will need: 
Peanut butter - Crunchy kind - about 18 oz

Graham Crackers - 

about 1.75 cups

Break them into crumbs: 

2 (yes, 2) sticks of Butter (or margarine, I really don't know the difference) - Melt it down a bit

1lb bag of powdered sugar - yes the entire thing!

You can also add a little vanilla but it's not absolutely necessary. 

Anyway mix it all together: 

Then mush it all together (wash your hands first, and after!)

Then refrigerate for about 20 minutes..  Then roll your balls. This recipe makes about 7 doz

Then freeze them for about 20-30 minutes.  Get some Chocolate Bark (I like the kind that comes with a microwavable tray) and dip the balls in the chocolate!

The end. 

Wedding Planning!

Bo & I have actually gotten a lot done considering how busy we have been between Free to Breathe season and everything else! We are getting married at Marbles Kid's Museum/IMAX downtown, we have Nicole Faby Photography reserved for the photos and I actually already have my dress!  


Next up is catering and floral. I have 2 catering proposals and am waiting for a 3rd.  EVERY single caterer we have met with has rescheduled our initial consult...I know it happens but 3 times with 3 different caterers. -- geez.  It makes me have nightmares how much this all costs.  So to avoid that topic.... here are some engagement photos from Nicole Faby!

A busy Fall!

This fall has been EXTREMELY Busy - So Let's recap! 
We moved into our house in August and LOVE IT! ( Photos soon - my house is a mess!)


In September we took a vacation with my Grandparents - Grandma and Old Man and my cousin Amber & her husband Chad - we went for the Frank E. Evans Navy Ship Reunion.  We had such a good time! 

At La Jolla!

Amber, Grandaddy and Me before a Navy Ship tour. 

 Old Man on the ship!

After the Frank E. Evans Reunion Bo & I decided to stay a few extra days!  Sunday we ventured off to Point Loma and Sunset cliffs....

We decided to have a picnic! 

Little did I know he was planning to propose! 

Post- Proposal!

The future Mr. & Mrs. Hooper!

 Anaheim Angels' Game 

By far this was one of the best vacations ever! :-) 

Paint, Paint everywhere!

Painting done:
Master Bedroom - Check
Master Bath - Check
Office - Check
Ugly beige trim downstairs turned white -almost check
counter table thingie painted white - Check
Bookshelf painted - check 


I have the best brother in the world! He has spent the past two days with me painting!!  Photos soon! I packed my cord! This staycation has been consumed with painting. 


To go:
Finish trim
guest bathroom 
touch up master. 
THE END IS IN SIGHT!


Ready for the BEACH on Thursday! - at least for a little over 24 hours! :-)

A Happy Home without the Crackberry!

This week I am not going to use my blackberry for anything other than a phone and texting! Goodbye facebook (no more cheating) Good bye Email - well except for 1 glance a day for Focused Videography.  Sometimes I feel WAY too connected and as much as I LOVE my job and am so passionate about it I need a BREAK from lc too!   This week is going to be about nesting in my new home! 


Speaking of the New Home! Bo is stretching out in the living room!

TADA!!!!!!!! Welcome!

Okay lots to do off to project 1 of the week -Painting a bookshelf that Bo's dad made in 1988 and a counter that my dad made for Durham Creek that will be reinvented for my kitchen --- before and after photos coming soon!

10 for $10 Challenge! Part 2!

Last week I took over Facebook and challenged my friends to a 10 for $10 challenge.  I must say my friends and family rose to the challenge and so far this Free to Breathe season I have raised $478  - My personal goal is $500 ($22 more!!).  Thank you to everyone who donated- and for those who still want to get involved and donate - my page won't close until December 31st!  

But I wanted to put into perspective what your $10 can do and show how YOUR funds are truly making a difference in the life of a lung cancer patient:
How do your fundraising efforts make a difference? 

• One $10 gift allows 5 lung cancer patients to receive our free educational materials 
• Five $10 gifts keep our website running for a month, providing vital information to 10,000 patients, families and health care providers 
• Fifteen $10 gifts fund one day of critical lung cancer research to help all lung cancer patients live longer and better.

Whether we raise $500 or $5,000 this year  your efforts will make a direct impact on the lives of lung cancer patients and their families - so on behalf of my family - THANK YOU!

Want to give - or pass the link along?!? www.freetobreathe.org 

Social Media at it's finest!

Thank you to EVERYONE who participated in my 10 for $10 challenge!  as of 5:30 - 12 people  raised $258!!!!!  


Great work and a HUGE thank you to everyone!  


<3 Heather 

10 for $10 Challenge!

This year my goal is for my team to raise $1,500 for Lung Cancer Research through the Free to Breathe 5K, Run, Walk and Rally!  My goal for today is to get 10 friends to donate $10!  By the end of the day - $100 raised! Yipee!  Your donation is tax deductible and goes to a GREAT cause!  The North Carolina Lung Cancer Partnership is dedicated to decreasing deaths due to lung cancer and helping patients live longer and better through research awareness and advocacy.  Lung cancer is the #1 Cancer Killer yet receives the LEAST federal funding.  The stigma attached to this disease sucks - It is not just a smokers disease - and 60% of diagnosed cases either come from people who never smoked or quit DECADES ago!  beyond that -ALL cancer patients deserve love, compassion and research funding!  


Ladies - twice as many women die from lung cancer than breast cancer each year!  Where lung cancer has trended down in men it continues to rise in women!  (Why you might ask---I Don't Know! There isn't enough research because there isn't enough FUNDING!)  


So now that this post has gotten WAY too long - will you join me in donating $10 today to my team - Nothin' Fancy in Memory of my Daddy?


http://participate.freetobreathe.org/goto/HeatherGill


PS. If you want to participate I am still taking team members too!  November 6, 2010 at NCSU Centennial Campus. 

New House...

I am going to be a homeowner! As long as everything continues to go well we will close on July 30!  It has DEFINITELY been a journey getting to this point - Luckily I have a GREAT real estate agent and a great support system.  Otherwise I think I would have gone insane already!  .... no seriously. 


We decided because the interest rates were SO low to go ahead and buy.  We also got a GREAT deal! We are super exited about having our own mailbox and garage and yard for Kahlua!  Updated Photos and Cookouts soon!


Here are some photos!



Living room view from the front door. 





From the kitchen





Backyard shot!





Kitchen





Master bedroom with 2 closets!  





Small bedroom #2






Future Office!





Backyard shot #2

Meet Baby Joshua William Hao!

On July 4th our family welcomed my new baby cousin, Joshua William Hao!  Joshua was born in China on America's Birthday!  He was 9lbs 11 oz and 21 inches long!   My aunt and uncle left last Tuesday to make the journey to China to be with my cousin, Laura and her husband, Steven.  Laura teaches English in China and met her husband there a few years ago.  Joshua is their first baby and I am so excited to meet him! Hopefully Christmas they will be able to come!


Congrats Laura and Steven!  
How cute is he?!

Eat out & Help a good cause!

Today & Tomorrow California Pizza Kitchen is giving 20% of every bill that brings in the flyer below to the NC Lung Cancer Partnership!  ALL you have to do is Eat out and bring the flyer!  I am eating there for Lunch and Dinner - What a great excuse for Girls Night or a Date Night!  Triangle Town Center & Southpointe Mall locations!  I feel some Jamaican Jerk Pizza and Waldorf Salad calling my name!

Happy Memorial Day Old Man!

All my life I have lived in a military town but I never realized how important our service men and women were until I attended the Frank E. Evans Navy Boat Reunion with my grandparents last year in Charleston.  My grandfather was joined the Navy in 1952, did multiple tours in Vietnam (yes,Vietnam) and was on the Frank E. Evans starting in 1963 for a number of years.  He retired a CSC. Learning about his past brought to light the importance of the service my grandfather gave to our country. Thank you Old Man. I love you very much and can't wait to spend time with you in September at the reunion in San Diego!


Wasn't my grandfather handsome!?

Grandma & Grandaddy at the Frank E. Evans Reunion in 08 - They have been married for 54 years!

Me, Old Man, Aunt Vonna & Amber on a replica of the Frank E. Evans!

Will update blog soon!

In the mean time -- It's wedding season!! YAY! 
Weddings the next two weekends, 1 in June and 2 in July! 
Know someone getting married in the Fall or 2011 that needs a videographer? 
Please recommend us! (Focused Videography). 


Fun posts coming soon!

You may not be committed to lung cancer, but are you committed to me?

Imagine not being able to breathe.  Imagine having 1 lung.... I couldn't imagine. I think a certain other organization said it best... when you can't breathe nothing else matters.  We need oxygen, our lungs are one of the most important organs in our body.  


I heard this amazing quote last night:
"If not me then who?  If not now then when?"  


The past 2 days I have participated in a forum about the Free to Breathe series - which is the largest branded lung cancer event in the nation.  Mostly they are walk/5Ks but we are also doing Yogathons, Golf Tournaments and perhaps a bike ride.  It has been so empowering to hear suggestions and how other people do it around the nation. Teams raising $10K, 15K WOW!   Their passion inspires me to think that my organization is REALLY making a difference for lung cancer awareness, education, outreach - and raising a significant amount of money for research.  Now I am a staff person of the NC Lung Cancer Partnership.  So this is my full time job.. but as you know(sorry for the tears ladies) this is more than a job and we can't do it alone.  


So I am asking you to be committed to me, even if you don't know much about lung cancer - you will learn, and I just may make you as committed to the cause as I am. I understand everyone has a cause they are passionate about and rightly so. -I appreciate all my donors and team members from last year's FTB Raleigh and Yogathon. You all ROCK!- but it's time to step it up a notch.    I am going to make it a personal goal to grow my team of MAYBE 6 people to 20+ people.  Mark your calendars -  November 6, 2010 - NCSU Centennial Campus.   Will you be on my team? (Team Name: Nothin' Fancy), Will you run, walk and show up? Will you each raise $20+? Donate to my team? (I'm demanding, I know, Bo tells me all the time! ;-)  ) !Sign up now!!  www.FreetoBreathe.org 

The word on the street...

The word on the street is that the Gala went AMAZING!  I was running around like crazy so really didn't get a feel of the 'mood' of the event... but judging by the preliminary totals - I'd say it was a HUGE success! Our organization has the BEST volunteers, interns, board members, supporters - all for Lung Cancer.  Fantastic. 


Pictures up soon - I didn't get to take one single picture but we had a GREAT photographer there - Amo Photography.  www.amophotography.net   Check them out!


now.. packing for Tampa!

Has it been 5 years since we have spoken?

So much has changed. 

I graduated college -with honors.   You should have been there.  Got a job right out of college - and have moved into a career I love.  Although you would tell me I am not going to make any money at this and I would argue that I love it and I am making a difference and it's all because of you.  You were right though, should have majored in business.  

I started a business - I wish you were here to give me advice because I know you would have some. 

I fell in love with the right guy. I know you would like him, he is caring and loves me.  I wish you were here to give him your blessing. His name is Bo.

Carson has gotten so big - and funny.  He looks like you, walks just like you, even has the same mannerisms as you.  He can even play guitar at 6 years old!  

I have traveled around the world, and experienced life because that is what you taught me to do but I wish you were here to share it all with. I miss you. 

Heather 

4.16.2010

Camping - For REAL this time!

For my birthday in 08 Bo got me a tent!  We planned a camping trip to Hanging Rock, packed the cooler, headed that way.  On the way there Bo asked "did you get the tent" and I replyed.. Bo OF COURSE I got the tent - what kind of question is that?!

So we get to the campsite - start to unload the car and CANT FIND THE TENT!!  That's because it was by my front door - In my attempt to carry EVERYTHING out to the car in 1 trip I left the most important thing sitting by the front door.  Needless to say I have been the butt of all the camping jokes since.  We ended up hiking around for the afternoon and headed home... no roasting marshmallows over an open fire.

Fast forward to April 2010-  Let's try this camping thing again!  Same place- Steak in the cooler.... Marshmallows ready -

OUR TENT!!!  (And we set it up all by ourselves!)

We hiked the Hanging Rock trail - Which I highly recommend - about a 2.5 round trip hike - nice hills- moderate terrain - GREAT view at the top!

Then we hiked the lower cascades - VERY easy hike - and nice waterfall!

We got a nice fire going!

the FIRE!!  (I thought it was a cool picture)

                                     

Busch Gardens

Weekend before last we went to Busch Gardens! We had a ball... it was nice to get out of Raleighwood for a day!  


Roller Coasters!  

On the Zip  thingie!

they had an Owl out and you know I HAD to stop!

 

and they even had WOLVES!!!