Enjoying the rain and cooler temps!

      October the 2nd, already? Where did September go? I know, I ask that question every month, but it doesn't seem possible that time can go by so quickly! It's been a whirlwind of coming and going around this house lately! I got to see my girls that were visiting Morocco, and their cousin Win, along with their Moms. I also attended April's baby shower, where she received a good selection of diapers and such, that she needed for the baby. Yesterday, we all loaded up and took April to UAB for her doctor's visit. She will be going there during the rest of her pregnancy since she is a high risk. She will go once a week until she's 39 weeks, five weeks from now. I know she'll be glad when the baby is born, and so will I! Yasmine went to a Muslim school today for the first time! She loved it, Amber said! I thought she would cry for her Mamma, cause she is very attached to her, but she didn't! Yasmine is only three years old and has never been to daycare or anything! She goes regular school hours, five days a week! Her relatives are reading this blog from Morocco, so I am passing info to them. 

      The weather has been much nicer the past couple of days. Since I wrote last, the temps had gotten back into the upper 80's with high humidity! It felt almost like summer again! But, it rained yesterday and today, so the air is beginning to get cooler. I think tomorrow's temps are only going to be in the lower seventies. I'll be glad when it doesn't get warmer than that! I'm ready for fall and cooler weather! At least some leaves are beginning to turn pretty colors! Not a whole lot of leaves yet, but pretty anyway! I hope ya'll's weather is cooler where you live. 

Yasmine and Layla looking at the goats.

Layla does that when she's tired.

Daisey successfully pushed Delilah off the roof!

She's saying, "Ha Ha ha!"

Getting shoes on to go outside again. That's my glove I wear to do dishes.

I like this photo of Yasmine and the goats. You can see their blue eyes.

Sweet wave from Yasmine.

They are watching the horse eat some pears.

A nice sunny day!

Layla eating some yogurt.

Yasmine copying Layla.

Six quarts of potatoes I canned.

Girls playing in the nursery before the shower.

Winterlynn with her bruise from running into a wall.

April and her goodies.

Elaina and Winterlynn. Elaina's mommy made the cake.

The girls enjoying their food.

My sister, the grandma of three of them.

April opening baby gifts. Amber is her sister, Yasmine and Layla's mommy.

Can you tell they're saying cheese?

Silly girls!

They enjoy  being outside with uncle Ran.

He put the fence up in a  new place for the goats. Those are black walnuts on the ground; I don't like them!

Girls following uncle Ran.

Winterlynn is saying, 'You like my dress?"

      I managed to can some potatoes in between visits with the girls and I hope to can more this week. I also plan on making my first batch of soap, ever! I finally accumulated all of the ingredients and I am ready! Hope ya'll have a great week! Blessings from Bama!

Celebrating a fiftieth birthday!

      But it's not mine! The hubs turned 50 yesterday! He doesn't look it, and he certainly doesn't act it! What's a 50 year-old supposed to look and act like anyway? They're only the numbers of years that we've lived on this earth, not the total of years that we'll ever live! I passed that mark a couple of years ago, and I feel better than I did in my 20's! I still get compliments, so it must not be all bad! Happy birthday, baby!

      UAB got in touch with my niece and set up an appointment to do tests on her Monday. So next week may be the week when we get baby Riley! Her big sister, Win, is waiting anxiously, as are the rest of us! My other nieces arrived home from Morocco and are on their way here today! I finally get to see them! That's why I'm blogging now, in case I don't get to later in the week. They will be here a couple of days at least.

      I canned potatoes this past Saturday and I'm pleased with the results! I went by Aldi's yesterday and they had the already low price of potatoes, marked down even more! .39 a bag! I got four more bags and am contemplating starting on them when I finish this post. Since the girls are coming, I may need to wait. (I waited!)

      I started back juicing today, preparing apples, spinach, carrots, celery, an orange, frozen strawberries and blueberries, in the VitaMix. It tasted like orange! That's the only distinguishable flavor I could taste! It was delicious, but I don't think it will hold me until dinner! My head feels funny and I'm kind of hungry! I need to loose some weight so I thought this would be the healthiest way! I may just have to be hungry until my body gets used to it. I'll let you know how it turns out! Thanks for reading and following along on our little homestead journeys! Blessings from Bama!

In case you don't know what peeled potatoes look like! LOL!

All chopped up and ready to go in jars.

All ready to be pressure canned!

Fifteen jars of canned potatoes.

This is a tool made entirely by hand from a young man my husband knows.

My cake I made from scratch. I had no confectioners sugar and made my own. The icing is not as spreadable using the homemade version.

Happy birthday boy! The stool was hand made from pallets by the same person who made the tool!

A neat idea I got from someone's blog. Saves room and keeps the onions fresher.

My 'haul' from Aldi's!

      

Loving this "fall-ish" weather!

      The sun is still plenty hot, however! The angle of the sun is very different, too! It's rays are shining in rooms it usually doesn't. I just love this time of year! It's quite cooler this September than it was last year! Last year, the month of September saw 100 degree days almost every day! So, this is more like it! The highs have been in the low to mid eighties and the lows have been in the fifties. The temps don't stay in the fifties for long, though. (I just hope it's not a windy, blustery kind of winter! I can't stand to be out in the cold wind!) The high school homecoming is tonight, so I hope we win! Great weather for a football game!

      I've been in the kitchen a lot this week, peeling, cutting, and chopping pears. It seems like a lot of work, but when I take the jars out of the canner, they look so pretty! I might even can more pears, but I'll have to get more pears first. Last year at this time, I was more in the crafty and yard sale stuff. I made a fall banner and had fall decorations everywhere! This year, my mind is more about canning and filling the pantry. Funny how time changes things! I still like to craft, and will, if I ever get through with canning. Amber and the girls will be home from Morocco Sunday and I can hardly wait to see them again! I hope they will come here next week! We may be getting a baby next week, if UAB decides to take April's baby! We'll see! If all of these things happen, don't be surprised if you don't see any posts from me! I'll get back with ya'll as soon as I can and let you know. Of course there will be photos! Ya'll have a nice weekend! Blessings from Bama!

Win was here and spent the night. She loves to slide and play outside!

Win loves to go in the 'forest' behind our house. She found these acorns.

Here is what the pears were supposed to look like! They taste delicious! Use like applesauce.

Daisey and Delilah in their favorite spot!

With all of those pear peelings and cores, I made more vinegar!

The dark one is red wine vinegar and the other one is the first pear vinegar I made. See the 'mother'?

I ran across a recipe for Italian dressing and gave it a try. I used it in the pasta salad, and it tastes delicious!

I just took these lightly sweetened canned pears out of the canner. Aren't they pretty?

Goats and Pears!

      The baby goats are proving to be entertainment for us! They are so fun to watch at times! They both can climb on the doghouse now, and try to push each other off! That is a sight to see! They jump around, head-butting each other until one goes down. Usually its Daisey, but she's getting stronger so sometimes it's Delilah! It has been raining a little yesterday and today, so they aren't out much. They usually like to show off when someone is outside.

      I have acquired more pears! The first batch I tried didn't turn out to be a jam! It has a good flavor and can be used as a syrup on pancakes or ice cream. I guess that says a lot about the recipe I didn't follow completely. I thought five cups of sugar was a lot, but that was without peeling the pears! I peeled the pears! I found a similar recipe I am making next, using only one cup of sugar to three pounds of peeled pears. That sounds more like it doesn't it? The recipe also calls for ginger; you should've smelled it cooking! It smelled delicious! It even smelled good just sitting in the pot! I cooked it so long trying to thicken it, that it lost the good gingery smell and taste! Oh well, live and learn! It would be so nice to have a mentor instead of learning things the hard way, but that way I won't forget! I think it can be used as a syrup! The guys will let me know! I still like trying new recipes even though they don't all turn out right the first time!

      I'm so excited! Lots of good things are coming up! My nieces will be back from Morocco next week, and we will be having a girl baby shower for April! (Amber, don't forget the Argan oil!) Her baby will be here before we know it! We're hoping that she doesn't have to go to UAB to deliver since she is high risk with the pancreatitis and asthma! Pray that all will go well and the baby will be full term! Hope ya'll are experiencing cooler temps! We are, except for the high humidity! Have a good week! Blessings from Bama!

They love their 'Jeep'!

Daisey dominating the top!

Now Delilah is right up there with her!

Daisey is standing her 'ground'!

Delilah likes Ran's cap!

I think she would eat it if she could!

Skylar watching.

I like this view!

The peppers I pickled last week: mild banana peppers are sliced, and the other peppers are mild, too.

Pears that were picked off the ground and some were like this on the tree.

These are from the tree.

It's a little 'brown'!

The syrup in jars.