SO MANY BLESSINGS

I have many things to be thankful for. During this summer I was able to see Erin and visit with Angela and her family for quite awhile. I now have the kids back here with me for another visit. Also all the pictures I have posted on the web I have used a digital camera that Angela gave to me a few years ago. It was a camera that had been given to her and when she bought a new one she gave me her old one. There are times that it doesn't work so well but without it there would be no pictures for the entire lives of my grandbabies. Well when I went to unpack John and Bella's things lying in the suitcase was Angela's "old" digital camera. She is buying herself a new one and I get her old one. I was so surprised and happy. It is such an upgrade to what I have been using so I can now look forward to many more years of picture taking. I have such wonderful children for so many reasons. Their love for me makes my life a really good thing.

2nd VISIT FOR THE YEAR

We are lucky enough to have John and Bella back visiting for awhile. Angela is busy making another incredible grandbaby for me:)

They sure had a busy day. They got to ride on 2 different planes with their daddy coming to Nana and Pappy's. We picked them up at the airport and then went to White Castle for burgers. I asked Bella why is mommy sick, and for all of White Castle to hear she announces, "mommy's pregnant, again" and she stressed the word again. It was really cute and made me laugh.

We then drove awhile longer and stopped at a super walmart to get pappy something to swim in. We walked all over walmart and by the time we got back in the van Bella couldn't keep her eyes open. They both fell asleep and had to be woke up at the hotel. We had a free night coming from a promotion that Holiday Inn had and it was suppose to be just a regular room but we asked and they upgraded us to a Kid's Suite. The kids loved it and was sooooo excited. According to them their bed had an upstairs and a downstairs.

Bella decided she was going to sleep "upstairs"
Luckily as you can see the beds were not so tall, John is not very tall and they weren't much taller than him so as to not be any real danger.

They loved that they could touch the ceiling.

Even though it looks it Bella really wasn't jumping on the bed. Just caught her in a weird pose.
John could NOT climb up and down the ladder enough, over and over. Not just to the top of the ladder but onto the bed all the way to the pillow and then back down and to our bed then back to the ladder again.

Getting a ride down to the pool.

Nana already in the pool trying to take pictures. Not easy considering they had more important things to do then posing for pictures.

OH NO, they had to hurry and get away fast because the "underwater Pappy Monster" was coming to get them.

At first Bella was going to sleep "upstairs" then a couple of hours later John was going to sleep "upstairs" and as you can see they both slept, "downstairs"

This morning I had to turn on their lights and that didn't wake them up, we talked loud and that didn't wake them, turned on their TV in their room right next to their bed and only then after a few minutes did they wake up. They were so tired from their adventure yesterday.

At Nana and Pappy's playing with Alex.

HAIRCUT AND BREAD

Once again, hair cut time. Alex's hair grew back all curly. It's not the curly uncontrollable kind either. It has been so hot and his head would just be drenched with sweat so this will be so much nicer and he really wanted a haircut. Looks so much like his daddy at his age.

Also Clay hadn't baked bread in a long time but he did last night and was so proud of himself that he had to take a picture. The bread is delicious.

OMGoodness

OH MY GOODNESS, I made Fried Green Tomatoes last night and in all honesty I haven't tasted any as good before. They were perfect. I took a recipe from Allrecipes and adjusted the spices and they were amazing. I could have eaten enough of them to make myself sick. Luckily I had only made enough for all of us to have a few but I intend to make up a big batch today. I should be able to use this recipe all winter because of the awful tomatoes you get at the store are never very ripe and mostly green. This will definitely be on my "to make" list often.

I made my Zucchini Chocolate Cake again last night and it is so good. The first one I made I didn't have all the ingredients and so I did a lot of substituting, it was still good but last night was made with all the directed ingredients and it is so moist and good. Drew hates zucchini (ok, all vegetables) but he loved the cake.

Going to try a new zucchini casserole recipe tonight. The "problem" with a garden is having so much of things until you get sick of eating it. I have been looking up and trying all kinds of ways to fix something and it has been great. Last night we found ourselves with the kitchen counter covered with ripe tomatoes so Clay picked up cilantro at the grocery (it got too hot here and the cilantro we planted didn't produce much until it "bolted") and in an hour or so he had made two big jars of salsa. Except for the cilantro the tomatoes, jalapenos, onions came from our garden.

Getting ready for JohnBella to come and things are moving right along. Tomorrow a trip to Springfield to pick up some Bacquacil for the pool.

ITS BEEN A LONG TIME

I have not posted for a very long time. I flew back to Utah with John and Bella and stayed there for just over 2 weeks. I loved the time that I had with them. Just being in their every day lives.

I have been bombarded with fresh tomatoes from our garden. So YUMMY. Will be making fried green tomatoes tomorrow. Only have 2 zucchini plants and every day have more than we could possibly eat. We give away a lot of things but still have too much. I made a zucchini chocolate cake and it was delicious. I love zucchini bread so every few days I grate up the zucchini and put 2 cups in each bag and put them in the freezer. They will be great to have all winter for baking. One thing I've learned this year is that zucchini in recipes makes the bread or cake really moist. I also have lots of zucchini casseroles that I'm going to be trying. It has been nice to have fresh food that we raised or grew. Usually breakfast has been consisting of eggs from our chickens, potatoes and tomatoes from the garden. We will be adding a pig next spring so one day we will also be eating bacon from our farm. We are having problems with a rabbit family that has made a home next to the garden, so we have lost some of our garden to them but we keep replanting and trying to find a way to keep them out.

Corey will be flying John and Bella out to stay with us for a little bit (until Angela feels better) and then he will fly back the same day. They get here the 18th of this month. We are really excited. Corey and Angela bought a new van and gave us their other one. Having it here has changed my life. I am so grateful. Enjoy the pictures.

Two of our baby turkeys that we are going to keep and hopefully mate next spring. Won't have to pay for anymore baby turkeys.

Some of my pretty flowers.

Hopefully we will have fresh corn for John and Bella to eat fresh after they pick them off the stalks while they are here.

At the end of the day we let all our chickens, turkeys and geese to roam all over the yard. They eat all the bugs. They are great for tick and chigger control, grasshoppers, ok, just about any insect that can be a problem.

Eggs waiting to get taken in the house for breakfast.

2 day old geese

Almost 2 months old. The chicks around them are the same age.

Not only are they pretty but they are so funny also.

TOMORROW

30 YEARS...........