The Weather has turned cool this Week!

      We've been using the heat at night and today it came on some until lunch. The sun really warms things up! I am glad to experience cooler temps so I can get my soup recipes out! Our favorite is Black Bean Soup. I copied a recipe for it from simplyscratch.com. Laurie is a wonderful recipe developer and almost all of her recipes are things I like! I also like callmepmc.com. She is witty and shares lots of good recipes. I just copied her no fail pie crust recipe and apple turnovers. Give these ladies a visit when you get the chance. Also, Jacky, at dickybirdsnest.blogpot.com just posted a recipe for low-fat apple cake. It looks incredible! Can you tell I'm in a cooking mood? If my kitchen was clean right now, I'd be baking or cooking something. I also found a recipe for Muffin Tin Pot pies that sound like something me and the girls would like. It's copied from tasteandtellblog.com. She got it from the Rachel Ray show. How about some caramel popcorn? I could just go on and on about recipes, but you may have ideas of your own. One day I hope to revamp this blog and be able to share recipes with a print button. One day!

      The girls went home Monday night, so I've been trying to catch up on so many things! I'm not there yet! Does one ever get there? I'm also trying to help April come up with ideas, lesson plans, and crafts to do with Winterlynn. April wants to turn the baby's room, which doesn't get used much, into a school room. I am so loving this cause I used to be a reading coach for 4-year-olds! I'm getting to use my 'stuff' again! That was my favorite of all jobs, but when the economy bottomed out a few years back, my job was cut since I wasn't tenured. Now my teaching certificate has expired, but I don't really want to go back unless I could work with 4-year-olds. If God wants me to, He can work that out. It's all in His hands! So at least I can work with my great-nieces, and that makes me happy!

      If this weather stays cool, we will soon have a fire in the fireplace! I am excited to do that in one way, and in another, way, not so much! The cons are the smell and the rest of the house gets cold! The smell stays in here until the ashes are removed. I think I have an allergy to the smoke and ashes cause they make me cough. I guess everybody is that way. Well, Ran isn't. It doesn't seem to bother him, cause he always wants a fire in cold weather. He doesn't even mind chopping the wood! Go figure! 

      Whatever you do, stay safe and warm! Hope you all have a nice weekend! See ya'll next time! Blessings from Bama!

What ya hiding behind you Winterlynn?

Surprising how well she stays in the lines! Good job, Win!

Riley does that a lot! I think she's praising the Lord!

I love baking my bread in the Dutch oven! It tastes so good!

Riley loves to look out at the dogs!

Pumpkin cheesecake in the making!

It had one more layer to go on. And I didn't take a photo of the finished project! It turned out good, but not good enough to make again. I used a recipe by King Arthur Flour.

Win sure enjoyed licking the bowl.

The child fell a lot while she was here. I heard a bang and grabbed my camera and found her like this. She wasn't hurt though. I couldn't  help but laugh!

She got outside without washing her face!

Always has a baby under that arm!

Everybody LOVES riding the golf-cart except for Layla!

They love going fast down the driveway! I love how the photo turned out well in motion!

Found a recipe for oven fries that are so delicious! I just spiced them a little too much!

Such a sweetie! Look at those eyes!

Amber brought pumpkins for the girls to paink. That's what they say instead of paint.

Amber painting Riley's pumpkin.

They were really into painking.

I guess they like blue pumpkins!

Win trying to keep her pancakes away from Riley!

Riley managed to get some anyway!

She hasn't learned how to swing without me pushing.

Roll Tide!

Four little monkeys swinging in the swings!

Riley about to cook some letters. 

Win eating her snack of grapes while she watches Arthur.

April's reunion with her girls. 

They missed their Mommy!

Win playing a sorting game.

One last time before they go home!

Cinnamon apples cooked in the crockpot.

October is a Great Month to Celebrate Birthdays!

      First we celebrated April's. Today is Oma's; tomorrow is Skylar's! Amber's is the 30th. Wow! So hard to believe my baby is 18! These years have passed by way to quick! And most of the years, I've been home! I am keeping Win and Riley for a few days since April is in the hospital. She has some kind of bacteria in her stomach and inflammation. She is very sick and we thought it was her pancreatitis. I don't know who would keep the kids if I worked! Send up prayers for her if you would!

      We had a great time this past Saturday! We went to a craft festival called Homestead Hollow in Springville, AL. You would not believe the traffic! The festival is about five miles from the interstate where we got off and it took us an hour to get there! Maybe longer; I tried not to watch the clock. But it was fun once we got there! Lots of food vendors and LOTS of crafts! Mostly monogrammed things for kids and Fall decorations. Lots of jewelry booths! I got Amber a blank for her birthday! I can't tell you what it is cause she reads this blog!

      I just pulled some homemade bread out of the oven! It's the Trim Healthy Mama one but it's way too salty! I wondered about that when I put in the three tablespoons of salt it called for. I'll stick to my Jim Lahey's bread, thank you! They were selling those yummy cinnamon nuts at the festival, but they are very costly! So, you know me, I came home and found a recipe and made some! They are not exactly like those, but delicious anyway! I love when recipes turn out as well as something you'd buy or taste even better! I also made brownies this weekend for Skylar's lunch, and they are the best yet! Hershey's recipe! See what I mean, me stick to a diet? I don't think so! But I haven't told you about all the good stuff I ate. Beans and greens, green juice, no rice at the Mexican restaurant we took Skylar to Saturday. Moderation! And exercise! I hope to walk and workout today, but I'm not sure how I'll pull that off since I don't have a double stroller! I can work out, but I won't be able to walk unless my Mom comes over! Would you like to stop by and watch them for me?

      The weather is supposed to start cooling down a few degrees this week and rain by the weekend! It may only be in the sixties by then! Wow! That will feel so good! I'm ready for weather changes, are you? I'm also hoping to get that garden cleared out soon! Randy said he'd weed eat it for me, but he's been busy working on the house and it gets dark out soon after he gets home. That's what I don't like about Fall and winter! Short days! Oh well, learn to live with it and do the best we can. Ya'll have a great week! Who knows? I may be back with another post soon! Blessings from Bama!

The entrance to the festival.

Love this old buggy, just glad I don't have to ride in it!

Aren't these mums gorgeous?

Skylar won't look at the camera so I can get his picture.

My Mom and Dad.

Me and Randy.

Lots of folks here.

I'm glad it was shady in most of the park!

I love the bridge that crosses over to the cabin! And I love the cabin!

Guess what these guys have set up!

My Dad asked him to take a drink.

He said he had to keep things on the up and up. I smelled it and it smells like vinegar. It's moonshine!

We left before I go to see them dance! Reminds me of Linda!

Traffic on the way in as we were leaving!

Skylar at Superior Grill, a Mexican restaurant.

Randy waiting patiently on me to take a photo of this sign I got at the Almanac Store in Leeds.

She had a bad virus Thursday and Friday! She still looks pekid under her eyes.

She's doing a good job on the pumpkin!

Riley is so cute reaching up! Like my five-year-old cell phone? It's older than the girls!

I love the concept of this bread, just not the way it tastes!