Thankful #2

Continuing the November Friday thankful posts, this is what I am thankful for this week . . .

1.  Love

So I was working at the kids' elementary school this week, and the local florist came to the door with a beautiful bouquet of flowers, and then she said, "And I have 42 balloons to bring in too."  42?!!? Seriously??!!  It was one of the teacher's 42nd anniversary, and her husband had bought the flowers, the one big pink "Happy Anniversary" balloon and then 41 other balloons.  On those 41 other balloons he had written on every single one--things like "beautiful," "gorgeous," "super wife," "special lady" "my honey"--41 different things.  I was so impressed.  It thought it was so sweet.  I am thankful for love--true love, that endures--42 years (we are coming up on 18, and I am thankful for that).  I thought that was the sweetest thing.

2.  Sister missionaries

We have had sister missionaries in our area from our Church for the last year or so, and we love them!  I cannot express what a wonderful influence they have been on my girls.  I thank the Lord often for sending sisters to our area.  One of these cute girls was leaving this week and another coming in, so we got a good-bye picture.  So thankful for these ladies that sacrifice to serve.  

3.  Good books and kids that love to read 

Miss E was so excited to get this new book.  It is a series our whole family has read and loves.  I am so thankful for good books and kids who love to read!!!  (love her eyes in this picture, too!)

4.  Kids that do their homework

This may seem like a small thing, but it really isn't.  My kids are very good at getting their homework done without being told or nagged (90% of the time :).  That is a blessing and something I am thankful for--hard working kids that do their homework!

5.  My bed and pillows

I just love my bed and my pillows.  We have our Thanksgiving pillowcases on now, and at night I just can't wait to go to bed :)  So thankful for a nice, warm, comfy bed and perfect pillows!

So much to be thankful for!!!  Count your blessing!!

Thanksgiving dinner 2013 preview

So today instead of a recipe, I am going to share my Thanksgiving dinner plans.  I have always hosted Thanksgiving since 2005 with the exception of last year when we drove 1,150 miles to spend it with Ben's family and my extended family and to see my Grandpa one more time before he passed.  That was a good Thanksgiving.  So glad we did that.  But this year we are back to 'normal.'  Which means, I am hosting.  We have 24 coming which is down from past years.  Thanksgiving at our house is not just family, but friends we consider as family, so it is a big party.  I always make up a menu and then people choose what they want to bring.  I do not make everything.  I don't think that is how Thanksgiving is supposed to work.  Divide and conquer--and you get much better food that way.  Not everything has been assigned yet, but I just know certain people will bring/want to make certain things, so those are filled in.  The rest I will fill in this weekend as I contact people.  So here is my menu/assignments for this year. . .

Thanksgiving 2013

Turkey--Jen

Mashed Potatoes--

Gravy--Jen

Stuffing--

Fruit/Jello salad--

Fruit/Jello salad--

Rolls--

Vegetable(green bean casserole)--my mom

Vegetable(creamy confetti corn with bacon)--Jen

Sweet potatoes--

2 pumpkin pies/w whipped cream--

2 cream pies (banana and coconut cream)--

chocolate pie--Jen

cranberry sauce--Jen **if you have never made real cranberry sauce from fresh cranberries, you need to, it is amazing and so easy!!! I just use the recipe on the bag of cranberries every year.

Drink--Robyn

Horderves/snacks

Spinach dip in a bread bowl--my mom

blessing mix--Robyn

veggies and dip--

pickles, olives, deviled eggs--Robyn

Thanksgiving Story--Robyn

Old lady who swallowed a pie story--my mom

Football/volleyball--Jen

Movie--Jen

projector--Nathan?

So, let me explain our Thanksgiving schedule.  We eat around 2 p.m.  People are welcome to come earlier and snack on the horderves.  At 2 we eat, clean up, and then we have story time.  My friend Robyn has a flannel board story about the first Thanksgiving that she always shares with her blessing mix.  My mom has a fun picture story that goes with the book "I know an Old Lady who Swallowed a Pie" by Alison Jackson.  It is cute.  Check it out if you haven't read it before.  Then it is football or volleyball time depending upon the weather and who is here and what mood they are in.  Usually after the football/volleyball game which occurs in our yard we have pie.  There is never enough room for pie right after dinner.  You have to wait a while for everything to settle and to get hungry again before you have pie so you can enjoy it!  After pie we watch a movie--usually a newly released Disney--I think it will be Monsters University this year.  After the movie we usually snack on whatever is left and then everyone heads home happy, full, and thankful for the day.  It is a great day, and my kids look forward to it every year--they are super good helpers to get everything ready.  They love a party as much as anyone!  So, Thanksgiving here we come!!

2013 Blue Jeans Week 45

Well we started something very new to our family this week--basketball.  We have never been basketball people or fans.  Football is my favorite, then volleyball, track and cross country, so when our 8th grader Miss O said she wanted to play basketball, we said, "Um, you sure about that?" and she was.  So, basketball parents here we are.  I have no clue what is going on.  I have to ask Ben every few seconds, "What does that mean?"   "Why did they do that?"  but I will eventually figure it out.  It is fun, and she works so hard.  So the first two basketball games were this week. . . let the season begin, and here is a look at what else we did--in addition to basketball :)

Sunday evening--Ben got a new game for his birthday--Dominion.  He finally got around to playing it with Miss E and Mr J tonight.  They all really liked it.  They taught the rest of us how to play it the next day for family night, and we all agreed it was lots of fun.  So, if you need a good game gift idea--check out Dominion--be aware it says for ages 13+, but my 8 and 11 year old love it and have no problems playing.  Also, it says it takes about 30 minutes, but it always takes us longer--like 45 minutes to an hour.

I went to the butcher today to pick up our 1/2 a beef.  It is always so nice to get this locally raised beef and fill my freezer!  It tastes so good!

Miss O's first basketball game ever!!!  Woohoo!!!  We lost, but she played well.

She even got fouled--twice--and got to shoot for 2.  Didn't make them, but that is okay--it was her first game. She works very hard, has fun, and will get better.

On Fridays this month I am posting on things I am thankful for.  Music was one of those things.  This is what it looks like behind the couch in our family room--5 instruments for 2 girls.  We have a lot of music in our house!  Pictured are 2 French horns, one mellophone, one trumpet, and one trombone.

I ordered over 100 bulbs--daffodils, tulips and purple alliums that I planted this week.  Come this spring, they are going to look great!

Mr J is so lucky that his Nana is his school librarian!  She takes him out to eat for lunch quite often.  I happen to be driving past Sonic during their lunch when they honked at me.  I pulled in to snap a quick picture of the lunch date :)

This weekend was our Veteran's Day parade.  Love that parade.   Love the flags, love our country, our freedoms, and the brave men and women who have made and keep our country free.  God bless them and their families.  Thank you!!!

Ben and I both worked a lot in the yard this weekend.  I was planting my bulbs, and Ben mowed the lawn one last time, and then put the mower away for winter.  Then he spread grass seed around to fill in spots in the yard.  It was a beautiful fall day to be outside.

Thanks for visiting!  Come often!  I blog

Mondays--pictures from our week

Wednesdays--a favorite recipe

Fridays--this month I am focusing on being thankful

Have a good one!  I am linking up with The Mom Creative

Thankful

This is definitely the month to focus on gratitude.  I have so much to be thankful for.  I took my camera around today to capture some of the things I am thankful for today.

1.  Music

There is a lot of music in our house.  These 5 instruments--in my family room behind the couch--belong to 2 of my girls.  There are 2 French horns here, one trombone, one trumpet, and one mellophone.  So thankful for a wonderful band director who has my girls loving music and band.

In addition to all those instruments, all my kids take piano lessons.  I love to hear the music they play on the piano!

I was so lucky today to be at Miss O's school and was able to hear her in her Jazz band class. Oh. my!!!  They were amazing!!!  Miss O plays the keyboard in there.  I am so grateful for music in my life!

2.  Flowers 

Man, I love flowers.  These are on my front porch.  

and my rose bushes are still looking really pretty right now.  Love flowers and so thankful for the beauty and color they bring to our world.

3.  Pumpkins 

I love pumpkins and having them out this time of year--and I love eating anything with pumpkin in it!

4.  The falling leaves of autumn 

I love all the different colored leaves on the trees and how they 'litter' my lawn.  

5.  My mom 

I happen to catch her taking Mr J out to lunch at Sonic today.  What a lucky guy!  My mom is amazing and I am so extremely grateful for her and her influence in my life and that we live close to her so my kids can have her amazing influence in their lives!

So many more things, but just keeping it to 5 today.  My Friday posts are going to be Thankful posts this month.  Be grateful and have a great weekend!

What's up Wednesday--pumpkin pie cake

I love pumpkin anything--pie, bread, cookies, muffins, ice cream, and the list goes on.  This dessert has got to be one of my all-time favorite pumpkin desserts.  I call it Pumpkin Pie Cake, but other with a similar recipe call it pumpkin pie cobbler or pumpkin pie bake.  I don't care what you call it--it is good, and very easy.  My 11-year-old Miss E made this for our Monday family night treat this week.  Yum!

Pumpkin Pie Cake

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 tes cinnamon

1 1/2 tes ground nutmeg

1 tes ginger

or in place of those 3 you can use 4 1/2 tes pumpkin pie spice

1/4 tes salt

1 large 29 oz can (or two small 15 oz cans) plain pumpkin

1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk

For top. . . 

1 yellow cake mix (or white if you don't have yellow)

3/4 cup chilled butter

1 cup chopped pecans--optional, we never use these

 whipped cream or vanilla ice cream to top it with.

Mix eggs, sugar, spices and salt.  Stir in pumpkin and milk and mix well.  Pour into ungreased 9x13 pan.

Using knives or pastry cutter, cut in butter into cake mix until crumbly.  Sprinkle over pumpkin mix.

Sprinkle with pecans if using.

Bake 350 for 1 hour or until top is golden brown and edges slightly pull away from sides of pan.  

Serve warm topped with whipped cream or ice cream.

2013 Blue Jeans Week 44

A fun Halloween week we had!  My grandparents were visiting who we don't get to see very often.  We got "booed!" had lots of school activities, went trick-or-treating, had a party, and had a bonfire.  Whoa!  It was a busy week!  Here is a look. . .

4 Generations are in this picture--my grandparents, my Dad, me, and my kids.  So loved having them here!

We got "booed!" tonight and enjoyed some yummy Halloween oreos!  Yum!

School awards assembly this week.  3rd grade is the first year they give letter grades at our school, and Mr J got all A's.  He was been working hard!  Way to go Mr J!

Halloween at school.  They were supposed to have a parade outside, but it was raining, so they got to stand up in the gym and tell everyone their name and what they were.  Mr J and his awesome shield as Captain America, and we love our snoopy principal! 

Halloween football game and last marching band performance of the season.  They were awesome!  That field was so muddy and wet after we got 6 inches of rain in the last few days.  When Miss O was kneeling in it I cringed, but nothing that won't wash out.  She has sure worked hard in marching band!

Mr J and Miss E finally getting to go trick-or-treating.  Not sure what Miss E's costume is--a green haired, masked bandit?  They had fun!

On Friday Miss O had a school Halloween party.  This was her costume she and Ben came up with.  I thought she looked great!

And these are her friends she had over for a party before the party :)

Saturday night we had a bunch of friends over for a bonfire and hot dog roast and s'mores!  It was a beautiful clear evening,and we had a lot of fun!

Thanks for visiting!  

I am linking up with The Mom Creative.

Halloween Happenings

It has been a busy couple of days.  Wanted to share a look at our Halloween happenings.

This is my grandpa and my Dad.  We were so blessed to have my grandparents visit the beginning of the week.  They live a long ways away, so we don't see them often.  It was neat for my kids to have their great-grandparents visit.  They joined us as we carved our pumpkins earlier this week.

This is my grandma.  She is amazing!  

And here is Mr J's creation.  Loved his mouth. 

Miss E's creation--loved her eyes.

Miss A went with a Hunger Games theme.  She did a good job!

And Miss O's--love her mouth too!

They all looked really good outside!

Then we had an elementary awards assembly.  That cute boy got all A's for the first nine weeks.  Way to go Mr J!

Then there was the school Halloween parade which really wasn't a parade because it was raining, so they just all got to stand up in the gym and say what they were.  Pretty awesome Captain American with that shield!  And we love our Snoopy principal!  

Then school Halloween party!   

And then finally it was time to go trick-or-treating.

Mr J was a very cool Captain America.  Not so sure what Miss E was.  She just went through the dress-up box and put on different things--maybe a green haired bandit?

Then Halloween night after some trick-or-treating we all headed to the last football game, and the last marching band performance of the season. Man, they were good.

Sure proud of the Miss O and her hard work with the band.  It was a great season!  

And then this morning we were all wishing it was Saturday and not Friday.  I think we are going to sleep really well tonight and looking forward to a non-eventful weekend!  Happy November and hope you had a Happy Halloween!