Celebration and seeds!

      We had a very exciting weekend this past weekend! The girls came for a visit, and we celebrated my in-laws 50th. wedding anniversary! The celebration was a surprise to the happy couple, and boy, were they surprised! Everything turned out very nice, and we got to visit with family members we don't get to see very often.

      I also started the rest of the tomato and eggplant seeds. I see no growth yet from the other seeds, but it takes 7-14 days for germination. I really should have started them sooner so they'll be bigger going into the ground! I just hope they germinate! I also need to get outside and do the work mentioned before on the raised beds! Today it isn't raining, but the wind is quite gusty! It's rained a lot here and been windy and cold, so I couldn't get anything done outside. I hope to do something today since the temps are supposed to be in the mid-50's. Then it's supposed to turn cold with possible snow flurries this weekend. The weather usually changes before then, so we'll see.

      My co-op order should be here by this weekend and I'm so excited to see what all I get! I kept adding to the order since January, so it will be quite a few items. Some weeks I have grocery money left over, so I save that and will pay for the order with the savings. I haven't been able to save any grocery money in the past two weeks, since it seems prices just keep going up! The order will help with that since buying in bulk is cheaper, and I'll save money in the long run. I've really been trying to be more frugal with food and have had very little to give to the dogs. They wait every morning for me to throw out something, but I only have a few crumbs for them. Good for us, bad for the dogs. They have their dog food, so they're not starving!

      Hope the weather is nice where you live! Just be thankful for moisture instead of drought! Have a good week! Blessings from Bama!

Layla and Yasmine love to swing!

Layla isn't afraid to let Delilah eat from her hand!

Yasmine is feeding Daisey from a cup.

So young and in love!

These photos hold many memories for the happy couple!

The wedding day. The two photos above are passport photos. They met and married in Germany!

The lovely cake.

The surprised couple and their son.

These glasses are too cute!

A framed puzzle put together by their daughter in only two days. Helen has visited the castle in Germany before.

The rest of the seeds I wanted to start.

A keeper recipe for baked chicken Parmesan!

Have you been to Trader Joe's?

      I keep reading on different blogs about items purchased from Trader Joe's. I finally did some research and found a Trader Joe's about two hours from here. That would be like driving to Atlanta, not a bad trip, so we went this past weekend. It is a much smaller store than the Whole Foods store I've been to. I don't know if all the Trader Joe's is that small, but this one was. They probably are, since there were several within a few miles. I like the items that I've tried, the Trader Joe's brand. They are good quality, and reasonably priced, maybe even cheaper than Whole Foods. I'm hoping we can make a Whole Foods run this coming weekend while the experience is still fresh. Would I make that drive again, just to go to Trader Joe's? Probably not. Unless we want to eat at Johnny's New York style Pizza! And go to Best Buy and Michaels. We don't have any of those stores here. They are in Birmingham; except for the pizza place, so it would be much closer for us to drive there. But, it was a very nice trip!

      I had no comments on the recipe I posted in the previous post, so recipes may not be my thing. If I post one again, I'll just type it in. I was really bummed out about not being able to use Ziplist! That is such an easy way to save or print out recipes! I don't plan on ever changing from Blogger, but if I do, Ziplist will be the first thing I add!

      I had Layla this past week for a few days while her sister had her tonsils removed. Then, her Momma was so sick, she had to go to the doctor and found out she had bronchitis! So I kept Layla and Yasmine Friday night! They were both good, and even though Yasmine was in a sickly state, she acted well. After their Momma got a shot and some medicine, she felt a lot better and they went home Saturday evening. I also got to see Riley, the now two month old! They grow up too fast! She's still little, though. 

      We have received a lot of rain over the past few days, which has helped to get us out of the drought. The temps have gone from the seventies to the forties! That's a big change! Just when I would love to get in the dirt! I know better than to plant anything now! Maybe Valentine's Day! Hope ya'll have a nice week! Blessings from Bama!

Sausage gravy, but where's the biscuits?

I have to cook enough sausage every week so Skylar can eat a sausage biscuit every morning for breakfast. I now know how to make a decent biscuit.

Layla pushing her baby in the swing. Love that little smirk! Can you keep a house clean with children around?

First cinnamon-raisin bread. Very thick and crusty.

Look Aunt FeFe, I'm wearing your blogs! The dog dug up that little brown bottle.

We had tuna salad. I put apples in it and it was good!

The new cinnamon-raisin bread is light and not so crusty. It tastes delicious!

Don't let Rubi get us!

Daisey and Delilah are growing!

She smiled at the camera! She was trying to take it away from me!

Yasmine riding the Jeep.

Riley about to smile.

You can see the effects of the medicine on Yasmine.

I want my passy!

This is the actual size of the store.

A beautiful church in Marietta, Georgia.

Some of the items we purchased at Trader Joe's. They gave us that bag since it was our first time there.

I love this lentil soup!

Oatmeal bread to go with the soup.

Got to have some chocolate chip cookies to go with everything!

Calling all doctors!

      Yasmine and Layla were here this past weekend and we brought them out a doctor's kit to play with. They were ecstatic! They played with that thing all night long! They also played with some 'stainless steel' pots and pans and plastic food. We ate all day long! It was such fun playing with them! They are getting at the age where one doesn't have to babysit them; they can occupy themselves with toys and such! We don't have cable, so they don't watch tv except for a few videos. I mostly let them play instead of keeping the tv on. It was a pleasure to keep them.

      Skylar helped me in the kitchen again tonight. We cooked his beloved chicken stir-fry. It was delicious! It was nice to have his company in the kitchen! We had Panettone for dessert. It is an Italian fruit cake that we can only find this time of year at World Market. In the years past, we could find some at Wal-Mart and Aldi. Have you ever eaten Panettone? It is delicious! We also like the soft gingerbread cookies from Aldi. They are a product of Germany.  They taste so good!

      I will be celebrating my 52 birthday on Friday! I plan on staying home and enjoying the company of a friend. We ate at Bonefish Grill in Birmingham this past weekend for my birthday. I don't like having a birthday this time of year because it cuts into Christmas! I never liked it as a child either! Never many presents! I'm ok with that now, though. I don't need anything! Except a Nigerian Dwarf billy! They are hard to find around here! I'll be so glad when I get two! Yes, two! Not brothers, two separate ones! I'm still searching Craigslist and I'll let you know as soon as I get one! Ya'll have a blessed day! Blessings from Bama!

They were so cute 'doctoring' uncle Randy!

Layla copies everything Yasmine does! Soon Riley will join them!

Loving that passy! Still has that head-full of hair!

Layla is checking his ears.

Now it's Yasmine's turn.

Skylar's chicken stir-fry.

Our waiting is almost over!

      April's baby will be born tomorrow morning, bright and early somewhere around 8:00! Probably later, but that is the projected time for her c-section. The birth is taking place at the beautiful, brand new UAB Women's and Infants clinic in Birmingham. The baby's name? Still a question for me! We are so excited and can hardly wait to welcome her to the family!

      I thought my apple trees were scheduled to be here this week as well, but they aren't scheduled to be shipped until the middle of the month. We have another surprise addition to our homestead, Rubi, a six week old chocolate lab! She is so cute and so smart! Of course, since the weather has turned a little cooler here these past couple of days, she is inside! She actually has been very good! I'm thinking of getting some puppy pads so she'll stop 'using' the kitchen mat! She always goes there, so maybe she'll use a pad!

      We've had lots of family here since Friday! Of course I'll have lots of photos at the end of this post! Hope you all had a great weekend and are staying safe and warm! I'm getting used to a colder house, since we only have heat in our bedroom! It's not bad though, so I just wear warmer clothes! Stay in touch for pictures of the new baby later in the week! Blessings from Bama!

Yasmine and Layla playing with the 'new' car.

Look at that cute pose!

I couldn't get her to look at the camera, but she's cute anyway!

They love the ice cream cone!

Look Aunt FeFe, I can drive!

Layla likes to drive too!

Her feet can finally reach the pedals, so she is learning how to peddle!

Inspecting the new addition.

Skylar's baby!

Eeww, puppy breath!

Awww, how sweet!

Winterlynne came to drive the car the next day.

She's such a cutie!

April holding Rubi.

Her eyes are blue! Will they stay that color?