Favorite Food Week

This coming week will be my favorite food time of the year. Since I don't eat turkey and the kids have been traditional dinners on Thanksgiving with their in-laws, we like to have homemade pizza bread when we do our family dinner one night this week. 

We also celebrate my daughter-in-laws birthday with the Reese peanut butter brownie trifle. A hit no matter what the occasion. Brownies, Reese's, pudding, Cool Whip...how can you go wrong with that?

We will also have brownie cookies. So much easier to eat than having to cut a brownie. Just grab a couple of cookies and munch any time you want. 

Of course I will also make a chocolate cake with chocolate icing. My icing is homemade from scratch and The Grands love it. 

I work most of the day on Thanksgiving day. But I still pre-cook a meal early that morning and take part of it to work with me and leave the rest to eat when I get home and as leftovers. I always have ham, baked beans, potato salad and deviled eggs. Some years I have mashed potatoes and gravy and some years I don't. 

I may try my hand at graham cracker pie. This is one Allen made one year. I have tried it three years in a row and it has not turned out. 

I always make me some oatmeal no bake chocolate cookies. I have them for breakfast while I look at Black Friday ads.

Well, now I'm hungry so I need to go eat. I can't wait for all the good food this week.

Friday Funnies

As Thanksgiving approaches, turkeys everywhere are filled with great fear. I thought I would share some of my favorite turkey humor in honor of the upcoming holiday. Enjoy!

Let's catch up....

 Just some highlights of what's been going on in my life. The children have started practicing for their Christmas play and since I go on Wednesday night, I've gotten a little sneak peak. It is going to be great. Shelby's first lines are about drinking milk which is all the child every does so she is really happy with her part. Here she is with a couple of friends run through their lines before actual practice started.

My antifreeze got low in my car and my son-in-law said to bring it by his brother's house because they had extra. Even when you just need some simple like antifreeze, you don't get one Hayes boy, you get two and their two sons. They give new meaning to the phrase "car guy".

I have a good friend who had the most brilliant idea. He has bought his first house and this was his first Christmas so he asked me to help him decorate. We did everything but the tree and then he had a tree trimming party and a bunch of our other friends came over and helped decorate the tree. I made pizza breads for supper and orange punch. Me, him and our friend Abbie baked 120 cookies and Abbie made the most delicious homemade hot chocolate. It was a wonderful evening with friends.

The next day people across several counties were waking up to snow. In mid November. That rarely happens around here this early in the season. It was so beautiful.

I was able to attend one of Colby's ball games. There he is taking a foul shot. He is so good at every sport. I really believe he has a career ahead of him in either baseball, football or basketball. He is amazing. 

The other night we had two shows but the second one had available seats. I need to go to my mandatory show for the Christmas season, so instead of working the second show I just went to it with a couple of the other girls from work. I love our regular show but I adore the Christmas one.

One of my favorite parts was when they do O Holy Night. It is so beautiful. 

And check out her dress and the horse. Makes for a beautiful photo opp.

But the favorite part of the show I get to see every time I work because I am getting ready to do surveys and that is the nativity scene. The camels are by far my absolute favorite.

Especially when they sit down. It is something to see as they kneel on their back legs then lower their front legs.

We had T.C. as our emcee that night. He was awesome.

Yesterday, I went shopping with a friend and decided to get some ideas for Christmas. I want these slippers. The bottom is full of what I believe to be rice. You can freeze them or heat them and they will help with tired, sore feet. 

Well, we are caught up to date now. I am waiting until after Thanksgiving to post all my Christmas pictures. Have a great Thursday.

The turkey and the tree....

I can't believe Thanksgiving is next week! Where has the time gone. I work on Thanksgiving so we have our family Thanksgiving earlier in the week. I am super excited that everybody is going to get to be here. We don't do a turkey because both my children go to their in-laws on Thanksgiving for a traditional dinner. We always do home made pizza bread because the kids love them and the fact that I was never the cook in the family so choices are limited. But it is not about the food. It's about the family. Us all being under one roof and getting to visit. I am so thankful for my family that what we eat doesn't even enter into the equation. Have my babies and their families under my roof all together.

I did something different this year. I decorated for Christmas before Thanksgiving. I never ever have done that in my life. But from this Sunday until the 17th of December I have something going on almost every day. So I am not waiting that long to decorate. I did the inside one day, the tree and outside a few days later. I will post pics later. But for now I am enjoying the holiday air at my house. Last night after work, it was so cold so I came home and got in my warm jammies and fixed me peppermint dust hot chocolate (will share this later). 

Then I just turned on my Christmas music, the fireplace and the tree lights. And just chilled with my chocolate and my book and had a very relaxing night. 

I would love to hear what your family traditions are for Thanksgiving. Have a great day. 

The Climb

There is a song by Miley Cyrus called The Climb. The chorus has some profound words that are so true.

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb.

This song is kind of my theme song these past four years. I have fought a lot of battles, some big and some small, since I lost my husband. But I keep plugging through with God's strength, mercy and grace. Each time I keep my faith strong and my spirits up. And every mountain I climb and it to the other side has taught me life lessons. I have met new people as I climb up those mountains. Some touched my heart for a moment, made an impression then moved on. Some have touched my heart for a lifetime and won't leave me no matter what. I have forged new friendships, reached goals and achieved dreams I thought were impossible. So don't worry about the mountain you are climbing. Keep the faith and enjoy the journey to the top because you have no clue what is waiting on the other side. 

A birthday wish

Happy birthday to one of the best daughter-in-law's a family could ask for. She is a wonderful wife to my son and mother to three of my grandchildren. she puts her family first in everything she does. I hope you have a wonderful birthday, Jamie. And may God continue to bless you with many, many more. Have a happy birthday we all love you.

Blessings

I have not blogged in about 6 weeks. I miss it. Life has just gotten in the way. A crashed computer being the worst of it. My battery holds a charge about 15 minutes and dies. Santa Baby, put a 'puter under my tree....for me. 

But despite the difficulties of the computer and a series of events this past month or so, no matter what has been going on I have been so blessed and had a lot of time to thank God for everything He gives me and everything He does for me. 

This song says it best...