Let the fun begin!

Halloween is such a fun time.  I get all nestalgic every year!  It's crazy, I know.  I love dressing up for the day.  I enjoy the party in my classroom.  But most of all.....

I.  LOVE.  Trick-Or-Treating!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Every year we go to the same neighborhood.  Together. The kids dress up and we follow them through the neighborhood.  I love it!!!  It reminds me of the street where I grew up.  The streets are lined with different styles of homes.  Each yard is FULL of big old trees.  The streets are lined with colorful or dried up leaves...depending on the year.  I love hearing the kids yelling "Trick-or Treat!" and the "Thank you"s that follow. The damp smell of fall and wet leaves takes me back.  The sounds of the kids laughing and the many people crunching through the leaves make me smile.  

Halloween has always been a fun day.  Mr. enjoys the night as much as I do.  Maybe some day we will live in that neighborhood...or one very similar so that we can stay home for the fun.  Once our kids are grown, I hope that they enjoy the day as much as we do.  I hope that they have fond memories of it like we do, too.  Halloween is just a night that we spend together...laughing, sharing candy, eating pizza or soup for dinner (thanks Grandma!), and being a family.  THAT is delicious.  Family time.  It doesn't get better than that! 

Be safe out there tomorrow night, friends!  Enjoy the Trick-or Treating with your kids.  Take a moment to breathe it all in.  The night is full of deliciousness!

Another Season...

is nearly over.

Courtney's cheer squad has just finished their regular season.

We have the "Super Bowl" games this weekend.

 

 

Corbin's soccer team just finished their regular season.

It was full of laughing, cheering, and nail biting.

Sigh.

It seems like they just had the first games of the season.

Don't blink.

It really goes that fast.

 

Have a delicious weekend Friends!

Granny!

This sweet lady celebrated another birthday this month! 

What a trooper!

In the past 5 years she has been attacked by a dog and ended up with a broken back,

had cancer---and kicked its butt,

and had a major stroke---and came out on the other side.

 

Last month, she used chop sticks for the first time in her life.

I love that she never gives up.

She is a strong lady.

 

I love our Saturday morning phone calls.

I love that we still tell secrets and trade recipes.

Just this weekend she gave me two recipes.

I'm excited to make spiced peaches and pumpkin cookies!

 

What old family recipes do you have hidden in your recipe box?

Anything good that I need to know about?

I'll let you know all about spiced peaches if you want to swap sometime.

They ARE delicious!

 

Granny with her 81 candles.

That was some serious heat!!!!!!

(And...just so you know...there was a fire extinguisher under the table.  Just in case.)

 

Family filled weekends...

 

Earlier this month we celebrated the union of marriage with family in Kansas City.  We stayed on the Plaza, witnessed the union in a beautiful church on Ward Parkway, and then enjoyed FOOD, dancing and family at the Madrid Theatre on Main.  It was a beautiful wedding.  I'm so happy that we were able to spend the day together.  We laughed, ate M&M's until they were gone, ate yummy food, danced together, and laughed some more!  It was a DELICIOUS day!  Congratulations to the happy couple!!

I can't believe how tall he is...thankful that I had on high heels.

Our baby girl is getting so big. 

I'm so lucky to be married to this guy! 

What a sweetheart!

After the wedding celebrations, we celebrated my Daddy's birthday by taking our money donation to the Wound and Care Clinic that cared so well for him before his passing.  The gift began with what we would have spent on his birthday gifts and the same type of donation from family and friends.  A few weeks ago we gave $2200.  Our total for the past 4 years is $10,500.   The contributions are used for patients in the clinic who cannot afford their treatments. 

When they have to tap into the funds, they tell about my daddy. ...his kind heart, his ornery smile, his prank jokes, and his joy.  They tell about the 3 of us that he left behind and how we give a gift in honor of him for his birthday.

Each year,  the girls tell us of anonymous lives that are touched by the donations.  I cannot take away the hurt of losing my daddy to a battle with cancer, but I can lessen the hurt by helping others in his honor.  Just seeing them (the hospital staff) each year for his birthday is a healing day for me.  It is bittersweet, but still healing.  I'm happy that something so delicious as giving to others has come from something so heart breaking. 

My family

(Love)

I will always savor the delicious 30 years we had with him.  He chose to be with the 3 of us.  That's a story for another day though.  Today, I'm so thankful for having him as ours.  What a blessing!  ...and what a blessing it is to serve others in his honor.  His name lives on in the contribution to the clinic.  THAT, my friends, is delicious. 

Now...go hug your family.  You don't know what tomorrow will bring.  Really.  Go.  You can thank me later.