Blue Jeans Week 45

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving week!  Ours was good, crazy and filled, but good!  Here is a look at our past week with so many things to be thankful for!!

Sunday:  I am thankful that I have a little boy.  We didn't ever find out the gender of our kids before they were born (except the first Miss A) and after 3 girls I told Ben he had one more chance to get a boy.  When he was born and the Dr. said, "It's a boy!"  I cried, Ben cried, even the nurses cried!  We got a boy!  Finally!  And what a fun boy he is!  He is addicted to his Dad's I-Touch and will sit down anywhere to play it.  Love my boy!

Monday:  I am thankful for good books!  You can see the previous post to find out more about this picture, but we love books in our family and reading, and today we got to meet and listen to author Christopher Paolini.  Miss E was so excited!  He is signing her new Inheritance book for her.

Tuesday:  I am thankful for the beauty of the earth and that we can enjoy the beauties of it.  There are so many large and small that we need to take the time and notice.  Today Miss A and my mom enjoyed the beauties of the earth as they walked a local trail near our town.

Wednesday:  I am thankful for a thoughtful daughter.  Today Miss A got over 10 inches cut off her hair to donate to Locks of Love.  I was very proud of her, and her new cut looks super cute on her!

Thursday:  I am thankful for the "youngest" table members at our feast. 

Thursday #2:  I am thankful for the "younger" table members at our feast.

Thursday #3:  And last but not least I am so thankful for the "young" table members at our feast.  We had 30 for Thanksgiving dinner at our house.  It was lots of fun.  Had lots of food--more pies that I have ever seen before, played lots of football after to run off all that pie, then enjoyed Cars 2 to re-cooperate from all that football.  It was a blessed day!

Friday:  We are thankful for many things, and one Thanksgiving tradition we have is our "Thankful Tree" which Miss O, Miss E, and a friend helped make.  Everyone at our feast was to take a leaf and write on it some things they were thankful for.  Mr J and his friend helped show it off Friday morning.  We have much to be thankful for.

Saturday:  I am so thankful for friends!  We had some of our dear friends who used to live in our town, but sadly moved away, with us over the Thanksgiving weekend.  The kids had so much fun!  Got no sleep, and played all day long.  Life is good when you have friends!

Hope you had a great week.  I decided I am going to try the "Daily December" blogging, so be sure and stop by daily each day in December for something new! 

Blue Jeans Week 44

Giving thanks this past week and coming week for all our many blessings.

Sunday:  I am thankful for my mom and that she lives close so she can teach and share with my kids her joy and love of reading.  She is my kids' librarian at their elementary school.  Mr J is reading to her after Sunday dinner.

Monday:  I am thankful for my kids' schools and their teachers.  What does a popcorn machine have to do with that?  This popcorn machine is at the kids' school, and I got to make popcorn for Mr J's class at school today (and I got a bag for myself--yum!)

Tuesday:  I am thankful for laundry and my mountains of mis-matched socks because it means I have people I love in my house that get clothes and socks dirty.    

Wednesday:  I am thankful for good food!  Today Miss E and I made some pumpkin whoopie pies (Thanks for the recipe Patty H!)  I am thankful for kids that like to help.  I am thankful to be able to teach my kids how to cook and the joy of good food!

Thursday:  I am thankful for good kids.  Today I went and had lunch with Miss O at the middle school.  It was fun to be able to eat outside with her and her friends.  She is a good girl.

Friday:  I am thankful I have a home, a roof over my head, A/C in the summer, heat in the winter, indoor plumbing, a warm bed, and a kitchen so when I want to cook and make a mess I can. 

Saturday:  I am thankful for friends.  I went to a craft fair about an hour way with friends today and had a wonderful time.  I am thankful I live in a country where I can go wherever I want whenever I want with whomever I choose.  I am thankful for my free country, my liberties, and I am especially grateful for the men and women (and their families) who serve each day in harm's way to keep it that way for me and my family. 

May we realize how blessed we are and be more grateful!  Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving!

Blue Jeans Week 34

Sometimes I am amazed at how slow the days seem to go, but then I am equally amazed at how fast the weeks go by.  Why is that?  How can that work?  So here is our week of slow days that flew by :) 

Sunday:  Sunday dinners don't have to be fancy.  We had chicken chip soup which is hands down probably the most favorite recipe of our whole family, and it is so easy!  I think it was originally called "six can chicken soup" and I think I found in on allrecipes.com, but we call it chicken chip soup.  All you need are the above 6 cans, then grated cheese and tortilla chips to garnish when heated.  So easy!  So, grab a pot and get ready--mix one can chicken broth with 1 can cream of chicken soup until smooth.  Then add 1 can black beans (do not drain), 1 can cooked chicken, 1 can corn (drain) and 1 can diced tomatoes (we blend them up first so no one can actually see they are eating tomatoes :)  Heat and serve with cheese and chips.  You don't have to use canned chicken, you can cook your own and put it in about 1 1/2 cups.  I am so glad it is getting to be soup weather! 

Monday:  For Labor day we got a big surprise--our chickens, which were born in April, laid their first eggs!  Miss E was the lucky one to find 2!!!  So looking forward to fresh eggs!

Tuesday:  I picked up Miss E and Mr J from school today.  They usually ride the bus, and I got this picture of them carefully looking both ways before they crossed the street to get in the car.

Wednesday:  Grandpa was out of town today, so Nana needed a buddy to spend the night with her so she wouldn't be lonely.  It is very convenient that she works at Mr J's school as his librarian, so Mr J got to be Nana's date and go out to eat with her and then spend the night and go to school with her.  He was super excited and they had a great time!  A school night sleepover, doesn't get any better than that!

Thursday:  Miss A #3 at the net ready to go for her volleyball game.  She is awesome at serve receive--gets the ball exactly where it needs to be.

Friday:  We have some friends that moved to our town from Mexico, and her mom (who speaks no English) was visiting from Mexico, so they had us over for dinner for Mole (chocolate chicken) and it was very good.   Here I am with my friend and her mom--now normally in any picture that I am in, I am the shortest, but I sure felt tall compared to these friends--that is rare :)

Saturday:  Mr J and Miss E disappeared this afternoon, and I found them in the front yard.  When I asked what they were making they said, "A fairy house."  Ah, love it!  Making fairy houses is the best!

Hope you all had a good week!

A Blue Jeans Week 2

Sharing my picture a day for my scrapbooking Project Life.  Capturing our lives each day with one picture at a time. . .

Sunday--one of my bestest friends that moved was in town and visited me.  So nice to see her and visit.  Sure miss her!! 

Monday:  Family night game--Twister.  We got this game for a wedding gift 15 years ago (thanks Christie and Randy) and it has held up well :)  The kids love it! 

Tuesday:  Miss O's DARE Graduation for school.  Love their shirts!  She loved Officer Ford that came every week and taught them.  What a good program.

Wednesday:  For the last 2 years Miss O has been a part of the school's African Drumming Circle group.  Today they went and performed at a local nursing home.  I love it when they drum and sing.  They are very good.

Thursday:  The 100th day of school!  Mr J was so excited about this because for show-and-tell he got to bring 100 of something to share.  He took Hershey's Kisses-yum!  He made this cool hat and brought me a note with 100 kisses (x's) on it.  I love kindergarten!  So fun!

Friday:  We had a 65 degree day for January which is totally not normal, but we sure enjoyed it.  After school Mr J made a train track on the front porch and Miss E enjoyed the porch swing while reading.

Saturday:  Another 65 degree day that was sunny and beautiful!  We spent the day outside and in the afternoon played croquet.  Mr J loves that game and insists on having the orange ball and hitter.  Watch out!  It is better to stand far away from him when he hits :)

I hope you all have a wonderful week.  We were pretty spoiled with our 65 degree days, and now we are under a blizzard warning with 14 inches of snow predicted.  Ugh, I think I like the 65 degrees better :)  Happy February 1st!