A Day in the Life

Hello everyone, I thought I would do another Day in the Life for you, but this time combining a few days into one.

I have taken quite a few pictures, so this will be a photo heavy post, hope you don't mind, though I know that a few of you actually really enjoy these.



I still find myself amazed, on a daily basis, at the beautiful scenery before me.  I almost feel like God placed this house in our paths and said "Here, this is what you've been looking for, this is what you've wanted for so long".



As I watch the seasons transition from Summer to Fall, I make a mental list of things I need to get done before the cold sets in.  Yes I know that Texas doesn't get as cold as Idaho, but it still gets cold, and where we are, we still get snow and ice.


I definitely need to get cracking on the wood pile this weekend, hubby and I are going to do a lot of yard work, thankfully it hasn't been raining much so we haven't had to mow as often, but would like to get a good grass cutting in, if anything to keep these annoying prickly weeds from growing.


My days here in our country home are pretty much the same.  A slow pace, the tending of household chores, homeschooling, pets and a husband.  Bills and the never ending cleaning.

I don't stick to a very set schedule but I do have things I do on a daily basis, a routine of sorts, and it works for me, it keeps me focused and takes away a bit of the monotony of the tasks at hand.



Even though Fall is not officially here, it has slowly started descending on my household in small pieces, here and there.


I've updated my mantel with Fallish bits and bobs.  These Fabric Pumpkins that I made so many years ago.  You can try them for yourself if you like by visiting my post here.  I'm actually thinking of making a few more for the second living room and using some green fabric to match the walls and the decor in there.



Something else I've pulled out is my yarn, I have quite a stash that I don't know what to make with, they're not quite big enough for a blanket, so I thought I would go with something smaller and I've settled on a pretty scarf for Fall.


Those are my colors and I've kind of arranged them in the pattern that I want, I may end up switching something here or there, but I may just leave them as is.  I think it will make for a really cute Fallish scarf.


There's nothing to it, really.  I cast on 41 stitches and I'm working it all in single crochet stitches (US terms) or double crochets (UK terms).

I'm not yet sure how long it will be but it will definitely not be a short scarf, I like mine quite on the longish side.

With Summer coming to an end, life is definitely slowing down for me and that's quite alright, I am always looking forward to Summer but I tend to forget that it's also one of the busiest times of the year for us.

I'm ready for cooler temperatures, pumpkin and apple and cinnamon scents, warm glowy candles, scarves and boots and cozy winter nights in front of the fireplace.  Yes, I believe it's time!!!

Happy Homemaker Monday - 09/14/2015

Happy Monday everyone, welcome to another Happy Homemaker Monday post.

I realize I didn't put one up last week, the Labor Day weekend completely threw me off and I had visitors over too, so yeah, ended up not getting the post up.  Apologies :)

Let's see what we have going on this week, shall we?

On the weather front:
The temperatures cooled down a little, and we're expecting some cloudy skies for the rest of the week.  I'm ok with that, I'm really looking forward to Fall so this will help me get into it.


On my bedside table:
Vicks
TV remote control
Lotion

On my TV:
Oh goodness, Fall is around the corner and all the new shows and return of favorites is inbound.  I've been making a list, huge list I might add, of all that I want to watch.  There are some new ones I've got my eye on.  For now though, this is what is on my DVR list to watch:
Lockup Colorado (I don't know why but I enjoy all these lock up shows)
Behind Bars:  Rookie Year
Beyond Scared Straight
Farmhouse Rules
Who do you think you are?


Favorite Youtube Video last week:
As always, I will be watching a vlog video and find a new favorite vlogger to watch.  Do It on a Dime is quite a fun one to watch, she focuses on DIY, organization and frugal living.


News story that caught my attention:
All the I10 shootings going on back in Phoenix.  What on earth is wrong with people?  And I find myself asking this question multiple times a day, every day.  I am just flabbergasted at the world around me, things are getting out of hand so quickly.

On the menu for this week:

Monday - Sausages in Tomato Sauce, Rice
Tuesday - Chicken Strogonoff, Mashed Potatoes
Wednesday -Arroz a Valenciana (Rice with chicken and sausage)
Thursday - Greatgrandma's meatballs, salad
Friday - Breaded Fish Fillets, Rice with Peas
Saturday -Hotdogs with Peppers and tomato sauce
Sunday - Roast Chicken and Potato wedges


New Recipe I tried or want to try:
There are a few new recipes up on the food blog, Portuguese Steak, Pork Chops in Tomato Sauce, Beer Battered Onion Rings,


On my To Do List:
School
Kitchen....unload dishwasher and reload with breakfast dishes.  Sweep, mop.
Bedrooms....make beds, open curtains and blinds, open windows, tidy up.
Bathrooms....clean toilets and sinks.


 
In the craft basket:
Crochet blanket, new fall crochet scarf (will show you today)
 

Looking forward to:
Finding out what is going on with hubby's job.  The company he was working for didn't win the government bid, so a new company is coming in.  We're praying they all get rehired, and should hear something by this week.  Prayers would be appreciated.


What I plan on doing for myself this week:
Crocheting and hopefully watching some movies, there's a few I would like to watch.


Favorite photo:

Lesson learned the past few days:
That we can't control this world we live in, and that we also can't stop living, or even worse, live in fear.  We can be mindful and careful of certain situations, but other than that, all we can really do is pray, continue living in Christ and move forward.  With our current job situation, it's easy to get scared, to question, to worry, but I've learned over the years to stop doing that, and I try to keep myself and my husband on track, reminding him that thinking negatively will only invite negativity to our lives, so we have to stay positive and stay firm in our beliefs. 

 
Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

Weekly Meals in Review - September 7th to 12th

Another week has gone by and lots of yummy meals were enjoyed.  So let's take a look at what I dished up.

If you missed the previews week's reviews, you can find them here:

Weekly Meals in Review - August 24th to 28th
Weekly Meals in Review - August 31st to September 5th


Monday 7th
Barbecue Ribs, Beer Battered Onion Rings, Baked Beans






Tuesday 8th
Costoletas de Cebolada (Pork Chops in Tomato Sauce)


Wednesday 9th
My son and I both started feeling sick, so Chicken Soup it was



Thursday 10th
Ranch Chicken with Buttery Spaghetti (I accidentally deleted my picture, OOPS)

Friday 11th
Hubby brought home Taco Bell for dinner.  Kids and I got Quesaritos and Loaded Potato Grillers, hubby had Taco Supremes


Saturday12th
Bifes a Portugalia (Portuguese Steaks)

{ Grocery Haul }

Hello friends, how is you Saturday going?

I was thinking about my post for today and had a few ideas going, but decided to do a Grocery Haul instead.

Why???

Well I had a few of you message me either on Facebook or email me and ask what my grocery shopping looks like considering I tend to buy for 2 weeks and stay at or under $250, for our family of four.

I don't always buy the exact same thing, especially meat wise because it depends on my menu plan, so it kind of depends on what I'm making, whether it's a family favorite recipe, something simple, or a new recipe I am trying.  New recipes are usually the times my grocery shopping cost is higher, but I still manage to stay right at $250 and that includes toiletries, dog food and cleaning supplies etc.

I know a lot vloggers share their grocery hauls, but I'm not a vlogger and really don't like talking on camera, nor do I plan on following the masses and video recording anything, so pictures it is, but I will tell you what is in each picture and what I bought it for.

The next two weeks it's all about Portuguese food and going back to my roots.  I've been extremely nostalgic and just missing my childhood days and home and family and the foods we used to eat, I think we all go through those times in our lives. 

With that being said, a lot of the meals I'll be making I have not shared before, nor taken pictures, so will be doing all that too, which has me super excited.

Right, so let's get on with it, I will show you what I bought and then I'll show you how much it cost at the end.

Bear in mind that I do my shopping at the base commissary.

Frozen:::::
Two packs of burritos, Beef and Green Chili and Bean and Cheese (my kids and husband enjoy these for a quick lunch)
2 bags of Steamables Mixed Veggies (one will be as a side dish, one will be used in some rice I'm making)
2 Red Baron Pizzas (I keep these in the freezer for weekend lunches)
Pizza Rolls (Kids enjoy these for lunch)
Sausage Biscuits, 20 snack pack (my husband eats these in the morning, he will grab two and go off to work)
2 packs of Maple Bacon (one for a recipe, one for a weekend breakfast)
Ground Beef
Steaks
Chicken Tenders
Chicken Legs
Thick pork chops



Meats::::
Ground Beef, 4 lbs
(Shepherd's Pie, Grandma's Meatballs, Oven Burgers with Peppers and Mozzarella)



Meats::::
Steaks (Portugalia Steaks for dinner)
Chicken Tenders (Chicken Strogonoff)
Thick Pork Chops (Pork with baby potatoes)
Chicken Drumsticks (Roast Chicken and Potato wedges)





Veggies and Fruits::::
Bag of lemons
Bananas, tons of bananas, they were on sale for 59c a pound and my kids are on a banana kick
Peaches
Potatoes
Onions
Garlic
Tomatoes
Avocados, they were on sale
2 Green peppers



Dairy::::
I bought two gallons of milk yesterday at Walmart, they were on sale for $1.97 so didn't have to buy today
Honey Ham, on sale for $2.50
Cream cheese for bagels
Heavy Cream for a recipe
Pepper Jack, Mozzarella and Provolone Cheeses (Mozzarella is for the hamburger recipe)
Shredded Mexican Style Cheese



Eggs were only $2.69 so I grabbed two, need some for recipes and also for breakfast and desserts



Grabbed a live Basil plant, my other one was all gone and ended up dying not sure why.  This one looks so good and smells amazing.  It was only $2.00





Bakery::::
One loaf of Texas Giant white bread
Philly Steak Subs for Sub sandwiches for a lunch
Hotdog buns for a recipe
Cinnamon Raisin and Original Bagels



Pantry::::
Small bag of flour, didn't need too much
Bag of sugar
Mixed Nuts (snack for me)
Goldfish, two bags (snack for kids)
2 macaroni and cheese boxes, only 90c (lunch for kids, they love this stuff, I don't)
Jalapeno Slices for sub sandwiches
Strawberry Jam



Pantry::::
Penne Rigatoni and Trio Italiano, they were on sale for 69c and I always have pasta in the house for a quick meal, or a salad as a side dish
Ramen noodles (my husband and kids love it as a quick lunch or even a snack)





Pantry and baking::::
Aluminum foil (I go through this stuff like crazy, I use it on my baking sheets to make clean up easier but I also use it in my oven to keep it clean from spills)
Parchment paper
Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice for me
Sweet Peas for a recipe
Tomato puree and sauce
Mushrooms
Black Eyed Peas (tuna salad for the kids and I for lunch)
Nacho cheese (my hubby likes having it on hand for a quick nacho snack)
Kidney Beans for a recipe
Pasta Sauce on sale for 69c (good to have on hand)
Popcorn
Tabasco
Bay Leaves



Rice
Dog Treats
Sandwich bags



The total was $160.57, not bad at all.  Yesterday like I said, I went to Walmart and got toilet paper, 2 gallons of milk, one gallon of chocolate milk, cereal, kleenex, dog treats, female products.  I spent $40.  So I'm still under the $250 budget for these two weeks.



I'm always asked how I manage to do that, and honestly, aside from those lunch items and snacks, I make all our meals from scratch and I menu plan.  I can't even begin to stress enough just how important menu planning is to staying under budget.

Our meals for the next two weeks are as follows......

Breakfast
Oatmeal
Cereal
Scrambled Eggs

Lunch
Sandwiches (PB&J, Ham and Cheese, Subs)
Quesadillas
Soup
Leftovers
Tuna Salad

Dinner
Saturday - Bifes a Portugalia (Portuguese steak, fries and eggs)
Sunday - Salsicha c/ molho de tomate, arroz (Sausage in tomato sauce, rice)
Monday - Strogonoff de Frango, pure de batata (Chicken stroganoff, mashed potatoes)
Tuesday - Arroz a Valenciana (Rice with chicken and sausage)
Wednesday - Almondegas da Bio, Salad (Greatgrandma's meatballs, salad)
Thursday - Filetes panados c/ arroz de ervilhas (Breaded Fish Fillets, Rice with peas)
Friday - Cachorros quentes c/ molho de pimento e tomate (Hotdogs with peppers and tomato sauce)
Saturday - Frango Assado c/ batatas (Roast Chicken and potato wedges)
Sunday - Carne de Porco com batatinhas (Pork with baby potatoes)
Monday - Peru salteado com cogumelos e mozzarella (Turkey with mushrooms and mozzarella)
Tuesday - Hamburgueres no forno c/ queijo e pimento (Oven hamburgers with cheese and peppers)
Wednesday - Roupa Velha (Old clothes, weird name I know but it's basically leftover meat fried with onions and potatoes)
Thursday - Feijoada (Bean stew, rice)

So there you go, I hope you enjoyed my first grocery haul here on the blog, let me know if you would like me to continue doing these. 

I enjoy watching other people's grocery hauls usually to get ideas, or see what they're eating, buying for the money they're spending etc.

I have another post coming up later today, it will be my weekly meals in review, so keep an eye out for that :)

Cooking Thursday - Best Chocolate Sheet Cake Ever

Good morning everyone.

Well as promised, here I am back with my Cooking Thursday. It actually started as Slow Cooking Thursday many years ago, then I changed it to Cooking Thursday so we could add in any kind of recipe and not just slow cooked.

I've had to take breaks now and then, but for the most part this feature has been ongoing for a while, and now that I'm back on track, it's time to dust it off and get it going again.

If you want to join in, all you have to do is grab the button below and share the recipe on your own blog, then come on back and share your link so we can all go take a look.

Alright, here's my contribution for today.....

Best Chocolate Sheet Cake Ever

Source: The Pioneer Woman

FOR THE CAKE:
2 cups Flour
2 cups Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Salt
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
2 sticks Butter
1 cup Boiling Water
1/2 cup Buttermilk
2 whole Beaten Eggs
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Vanilla

FOR FROSTING:
1/2 cup Finely Chopped Pecans
1-3/4 stick Butter
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
6 Tablespoons Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar


Note: Pioneer Woman uses an 18x13 sheet cake pan.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.

In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.
Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.

Cut into squares, eat, and totally wig out over the fact that you’ve just made the best chocolate sheet cake. Ever.

Getting back on track!!!

I am sitting here in bed, with Ghost Hunters on the telly and typing up this post.  Lola is laying next to me, Bella is by hubby in the office, Nick is on his laptop and Jasmine is asleep on the couch.

It's a quiet Wednesday night. 

I can't believe it's already Wednesday, I feel like last week I was running around like a chicken with it's head cut off, preparing for the con and all the kids that were coming over on Thursday.


If you follow me on Instagram then you'll know that I am once again unwell.  You know I totally chalk this up to the craziness I've been under the past few months, I mean the whole year for me has been one of chaos and constant on the go and I'm thinking my body is desperately trying to take a break.

I feel like I'm coming down with a cold, and unfortunately my Nick is already there.  He's had a sore throat for the past 2 days, sneezing and runny nose, and it's all being shared with me.  Ugh!!!




But back to my post title and getting back on track.  As I mentioned in my previous post, it's time for me to get back at it, back to the basics of homemaking and child rearing and all that goodness.

Here's what I'm doing to accomplish that.

**Crochet and Craft Wise**

I pulled out my gorgeous Cath Kidston crochet bag and filled it with some of my cotton yarn.  It gave me the biggest smile to see it full and ready to go.  I have so many projects that I want to crack on with, starting with some mitered dishcloths.

I'm not sure which pattern I'll use yet, I've found a few and it's just a matter of picking out the easiest one.  Listen, I'm all about quick and easy and simple, something that I can work on while watching TV or talking with the family.  I may sell the dishcloths to make some extra money for Christmas, or I may not, I haven't decided yet but I'll see when the time comes.



I also have a lot of scrap yarn that I want to get rid of, so I'm thinking I may get some lap blankets going using different colored yarn, it will be a way to get through my stash but also maybe get a pile of blankets going for gifts.

Feels so good to get back on track and know that I can create whatever I wish without feeling rushed or unable to because I have other things to focus on.

While unpacking some boxes, yes I still have a few left, I also came upon my fabric stash and I have a quilt in the making that I want to finish up, and also found a pattern for a really easy way to throw a quilt together, which I'm going to use for these really pretty fabrics that I have.

**Homemaking**

Before I started feeling sick, I managed to also pull out my Fall Decorations box.  I am hoping that maybe tomorrow I'll feel well enough to start the decorating.  I'm so ready for the season to come around.



I have to concentrate a little more on my home and making it ours.  It's time to finish unpacking all the last few boxes in the garage.

I have the tree stumps outside that I need to sand down and varnish etc, to use as coffee tables for the green living room.  Another project that I can now focus on.


**Cooking and Food Blog**

One more aspect of getting back on track, has to do with my cooking.  I'm so excited to get back to that, I feel like I haven't been able to cook anything properly in so long.

This morning I pulled out my Menu planning book and then started looking for meal inspirations.

I've talked about menu planning at length before, you can read those posts here on the blog:

I want to menu plan but don't know how
Recipes and Grocery Lists
Today flew by and Menu Planning

The past few months have been a little off when it comes to menu planning, I still tried to do it but there was just so much going, always different guests coming by and never a for sure day of anything.  It threw me completely off track and I ended up not sticking to my two week grocery shopping and menu planning that I've been doing forever.

I'm going back to that starting this weekend, so I'm planning for two weeks at a time and grocery shopping accordingly.

I sat this morning and practically every spare moment I had today, jotting down and saving recipes I want to try, we're going to be eating a lot of Portuguese meals, I've just been craving them like crazy.

I have a lot of things I want to get done on my food blog, need a little organizing, some recipes and photos need to be redone and touch ups here and there, so I'm looking forward to getting that done as well.

Oh and by the way, I was planning on sharing my weekly meals in review here on this blog as well, do you think that's a good idea or would you rather I kept it just on the food blog and shared the link here?  I don't know how many of you make it over there, so it might be easier to actually post it here too.  I'm up for suggestions!!!

The first 2 weeks have already been posted over there, you can check them out here, Week 1 and Week 2.

Well my crochet is calling my name so I'm grabbing the hook and casting on. 

Wishing you all a wonderful night.  Oh and I'll be back to my Thursday Cooking feature tomorrow, it's been FOREVER since I've done that :)

A Pattern of Lies by Charles Todd - TLC Book Tour

Bess Crawford must keep a deadly pattern of lies from destroying an innocent family in this compelling and atmospheric mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of A Question of Honor and An Unwilling Accomplice
In 1916, at the height of the war, an explosion and fire at an armament factory in Kent killed more than a hundred men. With Ashton Powder Mill situated so close to the coast—within reach of German saboteurs—the Army investigated, eventually ruling the event an appalling tragedy. Now, two years later, suspicion, gossip, and rumor have raised the specter of murder—and fingers point to the owner, Philip Ashton, whose son is battlefield nurse Bess Crawford’s friend and former patient.
While visiting the Ashtons, Bess finds herself caught up in a venomous show of hostility that doesn’t stop with Philip Ashton’s arrest. Indeed, someone is out for blood, and the household is all but under siege. The police are hostile—the Inspector’s brother died in the mill explosion—and refuse to consult either the Army or Scotland Yard. Why, after two years, has the village turned against Ashton?
In France, Bess searches for the only known witness to the explosion, now serving at the Front, and tries to convince him to give evidence about that terrible Sunday morning, only to find herself and the witness hunted by someone intent on preventing anyone from discovering what—or who—is behind this web of vicious lies. Uncertain whom to trust, she can rely only on her own wits and courage, but how can she stop a killer whose face she has never seen?
Philip Ashton is urged to throw himself on the mercy of the court—where he will surely find none. Time is running out. And Bess, at the point of a gun, has only one choice left: to risk her life to save the Ashtons.

************************************

My Thoughts:

Here's the thing, I was never into mystery books, it was not my favorite genre and though I read one or two here and there, it just did not appeal to me.  I'm more of a romance and Historic novel kinda gal, but when I was first introduced to Charles Todd I fell in love with the way he wrote and the stories he told. 

Mystery?  Yep, I was sold. 

Once again I get it all in this novel, England, history, World war and some very interesting characters, and to top it all off, a huge web of lies that threatens to unravel at any minute.

I was captivated by the mystery, I wanted to know who and what and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough, and every time I thought it was about to be blown into the open, something else would happen to keep it all going. 

I don't want to say too much because I don't want to give away any spoilers, I will just say that Charles Todd didn't disappoint and that if you're into mysteries and who dunnit's and what in the world is going on?  This is the book for you. 

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for providing me with a review copy.

Hello September!!!

Goodness is it really September already?  I can't believe Summer is all but done, Fall is right around the corner and we're inching ever so close to Christmas.

Where has time gone?

All around me the signs of Fall are showing up, and I don't know about you but I'm pretty chuffed with that, after all it is one of my favorite seasons.



The trees are starting to change color, and at first I thought it a little early to be seeing these signs, but I guess maybe not as I've seen a few friends mention leaves on the ground.



I stepped outside with the camera, and mind you, I don't like going out there really, because I want to be comfortable in shorts and flip flops and not have to worry about chiggers.

They got me so good about two weeks ago and I'm still not over the marks they left on my legs.  It looks awful and they itch so bad and I just don't want to mess with them.



But, for the sake of blogging and getting some good pics, I ventured out there.  I once again threw on Nick's snow boots and made my way out, thankfully the grass is not tall either so I may not have to endure any more chigger bites.  Fingers crossed!!!

Anyway, low and behold, I have quite a lot of leaves on the ground already.

So pretty, so very pretty.



I keep saying it, but I love the area I'm living in.  I'm a nature girl, I love the outdoors so this is a special treat being able to be surrounded by acreage of land and such a myriad of nature from animals to plants.

I didn't stay out there too long, just snapped those pics and ran back inside.

So, yes, September is here and I'm hoping that with this new month, a renewed love for my blogs and my food blog specifically, come into play.

I've started a new feature where I'll share my weekly meals every week, I'll take pictures of our dinner and on the weekend I'll do a review post so you'll see what we had.  If I have recipes already posted, I'll link you to them.

I just need to get back in the groove of cooking, and I mean cooking real meals and enjoying it because the business of my life lately has made it where I turn to quick easy meals, or we go out which is something we never did before, and quite frankly, both my family and I are just ready to get back to the basic good old homecooked meals.

So Hi September, welcome, I hope you bring good things with you.

Done and Dusted!!!

It seems like it's taken years to get to this moment, when in all actuality it took just a few weeks, but folks, I'm so happy to report that the craziness surrounding and following our move to Texas, has finally died down.

I can say that it's done and dusted.  What you may ask?

Well, all the commitments we had, either with family happenings, or friends, or whatever we were involved with, and now I can sit back and get back to just making this house a home, taking care of my family, and working on getting our finances back on track. 


So what brought this all to a close?  Our trip to Dallas, which let me tell you, I am so glad is over and done with cause I'm absolutely SICK of that place and the nasty traffic, the bad drivers and the long drive.  I don't plan on going down that way for a really long time.


Curt, Nick and I headed down to meet up with Jasmine, her boyfriend, his brother and their friends Sarah, Blake and Lucas, who were all staying at the Sheraton for the Anime Convention.


What should have been a 2 and half hour drive, turned into 4 hours as we battled construction and the usual traffic congestion in the Dallas area.  Nerve wrecking and annoying, to say the least.

Anyway, let me show you the finished product of Jasmine's armor that she wore to the convention.

It was so much work, I really worked hard for weeks getting it all done and it was down to the last day when I finally put the finishing touches on her boots and called it good.  Keep in mind that it is all made out of foam and fabric.

;

Adorable!!!!

She's already got a huge list of other outfits she wants to wear so I know I'll be super busy again in the future, but I'm also looking forward to it because I've learned so much in making this one.

So yeah, this convention was the last big event we had to worry about.  We went, we saw and by the time we headed home the sun was setting and all 3 of us were more than happy to see Dallas in the rear view mirror.  


Right, moving on......I'm sure you've noticed I have a new template?

I wanted a new template to motivate me to get back on track and blogging and I think this one is pretty enough to do just that.

Now that I am done with everything I had to concentrate on, I can get back to what matters and what I enjoy.

You know I actually hadn't been to my Feedly account in over a year, probably more.  I pulled it up yesterday and was reading all the old blogs I used to follow, and it brought a lump to my throat.

Some bloggers have stopped blogging, some have had babies who are almost 2 years old, some have moved, some have kids in college now, some are no longer with us, and others are exactly the wonderful bloggers they have always been.

That may sound so dumb to you, but I don't know if it was just because it took me back in time, or because I miss blogging regularly, or whatever, but it was quite bittersweet.

Anyway, knowing that I have a pretty free schedule is going to allow me to get back to homemaking, crocheting, cooking, decorating, crafting and taking pictures, which is something I've actually lacked for a while.  I remember when I used to have my camera with me everywhere I went, but I haven't had the time to do it lately so that's something else to look forward to.....and then of course, getting ready for Fall, to decorating, to hosting our first big Thanksgiving Dinner at our house, and then Christmas etc. 

So yeah, pretty happy right now.  I think I was going on adrenaline because the past 2 days I've just kind of passed out on the bed and slept all night long and without waking up even once.  I'm so tired all the time, and it only came about after I finished what I had on my list.

I think my body knows that it can finally breathe and relax.

Right, I'm going to go watch some youtube videos, take a shower and once again have an early night.

Wishing you all a wonderful Labor Day weekend!!!!