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.    

Memory Lane...Revisited

Friday would have been my sweet Daddy's birthday.

  He would have been 60 years old.

5 years ago we celebrated his 55th birthday with a surprise party.

He passed away 2 short weeks later.

The next 3 weeks will hold a lot of memories....sweet, sad, cherished.

 

 

A few weeks ago, we visited some very dear friends for an evening.

Three short days later, a small tornado went through their property. 

Most of the damage was done to their outbuildings and sheds.

The saddest part (for me) is that their old house is now leaning and is being torn down this week.

We grew up visiting in that old house. 

Playing board games.

Playing cards.

Baking cookies.

Riding bikes.

Learning to drive.

Opening night of Deer Season Mexican dinner--every year.

The list goes on and on........

 

I vividly see all of us there.

Men playing cards at the table in the small crowded little kitchen.

Women in the living room visiting around all the kids playing  running through the house.

 

I will miss that old house--more than I can say.

Is it silly to miss a structure as much as a person?

Somehow it feels wrong.

I suppose it's not really the  house. 

 

We look for stability because of change, or at least I do.

I look for the things that are constant....things that I can count on.

That old house was a constant source of love and laughter while growing up.

It was comfortable.

It was my home away from home.

It was love.

 

I'm thankful that God is like that old house.

He is  constant, comforting and comfortable.

He is a sorce of love.

 

I am happy that He nudged me to visit on Labor Day weekend.

I've had a chance to see the little old house once more.

I've been lucky enough to have some closure.

Don't get me wrong...

I still do not like that it will not greet me when I pull into the drive. 

I AM thankful that I have the memories of it.

I have felt safety in its' walls.

I have heard laughter and joy,

and the memories are delicious.

 

 

 

 

 

 



Life Happens

 

 

Life served us a BIG batch of lemons this week.

 

It has been a very long week, to say the least.

 

It's okay though.....

 

 

We made lemonade.

 

We are thankful for the opportunity to slow down and are thankful for the little things.

We are thankful that we have it all because we have each other.

 

When Life gives you lemons, go ahead and make the lemonade.

Drink it up.  Savor every sweet droplet.

Thank the Lord above that you've had the opportunity to grow a little.

Life, my friends, is delicious....even the days (or weeks) full of lemons.

 

Find the sweet lemonade in the midst of your darkest hour.

 

 

 

Lazy Weekend Love

Rain

Lots of rain.

Get up early to go to an early morning football game.

It's still raining.

Starbucks on the way home.

Nap time.

Watch a movie.

Nap time again.

Make a pot of Taco Soup for dinner.

Yes...you guessed it.  More napping.

Soccer game on TV

Yawn.

Time for bed. 

ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

Homemade breakfast...french toast and eggs with lots of coffee

A couple loads of laundry.

A little bit of work for school

Snuggling on the couch.

Playtime with puppies at the pet store.

(LOVE the giggles there!!!)

Grocery shopping as a family.

Lunches made for tomorrow.

Dinner on the grill.

The calendar double checked.

Homework completed and ready to turn in.

More movie time.

More snuggle time.

 

We did not get much accomplished. 

We did not go anywhere exciting.

I sure do love my sweet family time, though.

It truly is delicious.

Maybe next weekend we will have bigger plans.

 

(I sure hope not!)
I hope you enjoyed a well-deserved relaxing weekend too!