Halloween

We had a great Halloween! I usually cringe about Halloween, getting the kids all dressed up, trying to get out to trick or treat on time, and following them around while they want to push the limit on how long they want to stay out and get candy. The candy! That is another story!! I can't stand all that candy in the house! I have a rule that they get only 3 pieces on Halloween night and then three each day after till it's gone (or they finally forget about it and I can throw it away). Usually each day they ask for some they tend to push how much they get to about 5 pieces but that isn't too bad.
This year was great though. Maryjo went as a nerd, Gracie went as a vampire, Eli was Spiderman, and Hanni was Tinkerbell. They all looked great and getting them ready was a piece of cake! Thanks to my mom who did Gracie's awesome makeup job!!! We also had Maryjo's boyfriend, Blake, who went with us, but he didn't dress up.

Aren't they all adorable!!!
I started off with all 5 of them in the little car. Randy usually takes the van and was still working so we all jammed into the little car and headed out! I was starting to get stressed with how crowded it was and following them in the car. Some kids took forever to get back from the houses while others were already at the car waiting for instructions on whether to walk or ride to the next house! Fortunately, about 20 minutes or so after starting I got a call from Randy!! He met us in the neighborhood we were in and was willing to take all the kiddos!! I told him to take the teens and I would take the two littles. I was so fortunate and they were so much FUN!!


They would hold hands going up to the houses and got along the whole time! They didn't even get scared when monsters (people) would jump out from the woods and from behind trees! Very brave little ones! We even stayed out later than I have ever kept them out for Halloween. They were ready whenever I was to head home but I was having so much fun watching them that we kept going. Not that they complained.
I say I won on Halloween night because I got the cuties and Randy had to follow a bunch of teenagers around! lol


Now Randy and the big kids said they had fun too but seriously Eli, Hanni, and I had the most fun. We are not a competitive family, but I think I am just happy I finally had fun on Halloween.
A funny story though, Randy was dropping Blake off for the night and child locks were on. Maryjo couldn't get out of the car to walk him to the door!! Ha! I have to wonder if Randy did that on purpose!!
I hope everyone had a great Halloween night like we all did. Now it is on to one of my favorites!! Thanksgiving!! Christmas is my other fave!!

A glowing 16

I am a little late on this. Ok, I am alot late! Maryjo turned 16 on Sept 15! She chose a glow in the dark party and it was so much fun!

We had to keep Maryjo outside for about an hour while we finished up decorating and getting adults together. It wasn't a surprise party but we wanted to keep some of the cool decorations a surprise!!
I am so thankful to my dear friend and neighbor who was able to pull the whole party off so great!

This is Cyndie, Kevin, and Corbin. One of the sweetest families you will ever meet! Our whole family absolutely loves them all! Cyndie is the one who opened her home and hosted it all!

We started the party off with a little dancing and then we all got caught up in the Gamecock game for a little while. We ate BBQ and mac and cheese! Then all the kiddos were ready to decorate some shirts!

After shirt decorating we all headed down to the bonfire.



I was so excited my dear friend Amber was able to come to Maryjo's party! I have known Amber for years. We were dear friends in middle school in FL and found each other on facebook. I am living in Spartanburg now and she was in Columbia about to move to Spartanburg. Now we are back together and it is like we never were apart!! How cool is that!!
After the bonfire and the kids were all wired on marshmallows we headed in for some cake!

We all had so much fun! Adults, teens, and kiddos! It was a wonderful evening with all the people closest to us. Maryjo really loved it too and for that I am so happy! Happy Birthday, Maryjo!!
I have to add this pic because I just love it so much!! I put a copy on my bedroom wall. It is Gracie, Randy and me!!

A date and the mountains in the fall!

Randy and I don't go out on dates too often, but I was really craving alone time with him and a date so he took me out a couple weeks ago. I really wanted to go to the mountains and see the leaves. Our leaves here are gorgeous but there is something about being in the mountains and seeing the beautiful fall colors. We started out at our favorite apple picking place to get some pumpkins. And get some pumpkins we did!! SEVEN!! He wanted to get a couple to cook with and we ended up carving five.

We had so much fun at the farm! The views were perfect there!


I was kinda disappointed with the pictures because you can't really see the colors the we saw that day! I mean red, orange and yellow with a little green still in there. It was so beautiful! Only God can make such beautiful colors with nature!!


After we went to the farm we headed to Cracker Barrel because we were both starving. We had to wait 30 minutes for a table but that was ok because I love their store! By the time we sat and got our food we actually ate our whole meal. Neither of us ever do that at Cracker Barrel. It is so much but all that mountain air had us starved!!
After Cracker Barrel we stopped at one of our favorite stands in the mountains to get some honey. Yummmm! I actually got some tomato preserves too since I haven't tried them and want to before I make a batch next summer. I haven't tried them yet but am looking forward to it.
We drove home the back way and just enjoyed the ride and each other company. On the way home we stopped at Game Stop and picked up one of Hanni's birthday presents. Another Wii so she and Eli could have one in their room! They both love having it and I love being able to watch what I want or play what I want on the other one! It is a win win situation!
Our date was the best and I can't wait for our next one. We really need to go out just the two of us more!

Another apple picking adventure!

I am so far behind on blogging so I have decided to take today (or a few days and just catch up). It is my goal to update on some of the things going on here in the past month or so.

We went apple picking in the end of August again!! I took the two little ones at the end of the season last year and we had a blast! It was more of an activity then to get them out of the house because Randy needed to sleep (he worked nights) and then needed to do some school work. Also, that day Gracie had a huge project and the little ones were so hyper! Nobody could think straight, much less sleep! So, I packed them up for the day and went off on an unknown adventure that turned out extremely successful!!

I promised that we would go again and take daddy and Gracie this year! Well, this year we also have Maryjo and I am not leaving her out. Randy and I were driving down the road one early afternoon and decided to go apple picking that day. I called my mom and told her to get the kiddos all ready. I came home to my little ones in overalls! lol They were dressed for the occasion! We hurried the kiddos along and got the van ready. It is about an hour away so we were praying we didn't wait too long in the day to go. We got there in time and since it was during the week it was almost empty of people picking!! We got our Mutsus!! I was thrilled!! I love this apple!!
There was alot of tasting going on!!
And alot of helping each other get the best apples!

The surroundings at the orchard are just gorgeous!

Soon, I had four HUGE bags of apples and it was time to head home and start doing something with them!! I have made a ton of apple butter! Also some apple bbq sauce and even some made it into a pie. I can't wait to go back again and am really hoping to get back once more this season!!

Busy week in the kitchen!

This week has been so busy in the kitchen! I have worked with canning peaches from this season. We usually go down to one of our favorite farmers markets to get our peaches and I got three bags this week. First, I had some left from last week to use though. I made a peach cobbler jam with those! That was yummy!! With the other bags I made just some peaches in a simple syrup with a little cinnamon and jarred them up for later in the year to enjoy. With two bags though, I made peach butter! It is actually in the crock pot now waiting to be jarred up! I had to taste it and it is incredible! It is another late night of being in the kitchen though because Randy has been making sauce all day with these tomatoes we are growing in our garden!

Aren't they gorgeous!

I have been roasting some for freezing for the past few weeks. The flavor is incredible!

Maryjo made cantaloupe preserves this week also. She actually had to take it with her to go babysitting and do part of it. It is a three part recipe. Our A/C went out on Friday and it was miserable in the house so we limited cooking in the house. It worked out well and she was able to get our preserves done and finish them at home that night! And Praise God our A/C was back on that evening!!! Sweet relief!
Hanni did make cherry preserves with amaretto on Friday morning and had a ball making them. I don't know how smart it was of me to give her a knife but I was watching her and she did great! Her cherry preserves are awesome too!!

The only person who doesn't like them is Hanni who doesn't like jellies and preserves. She insists that we call them Hanni's favorite cherry preserves with amaretto though! Ha!

Gracie also got in on the action this week and helped Randy make blackberry jelly! We got some gorgeous blackberries from the farmers market!

In between all of the kids making things and Randy doing his thing and my peaches, I had to make Eli some blueberry syrup and some more blueberry orange marmalade for him. He loves it and says he doesn't want to run out. We went to the farmers market and got blueberries and Eli got his blueberry goodies! I pray my blueberry bushes make it. They aren't looking so hot but they will certainly come in handy and save money with my baby boy loving blueberries so much!!
Tonight for dinner I made chili with a twist. Pumpkin! I am craving fall and found a recipe that looked great with pumpkin in the chili. I had to make it. Everyone loved it so it will become a regular recipe here I'm thinking!

I have to admit I love canning food and love the fact that more than half I what we purchase or grow isn't going to waste but being used! Now I just have to work on the area it is all going to go and put it all up!!

A new passion!

I have to admit I am loving making jams and preserves!! My first was cantaloupe preserves! I started them on Thursday evening and finished them on Friday night. It is a 24 hour process to make them but so worth it! Eli was the first to try them early Saturday morning on some cinnamon raisin toast and loved them. He is tough too because he is so picky. Mom dipped her finger in and didn't care for them but later tried them on some toast and like them alot and everyone else in the house loved them! I am so happy that Randy has opened my eyes to jelly making and canning. Although I am the one who pushed him into his first jelly he started with pickles and really liked the process (and the end result, of course)!

On Saturday I decided to wake up and make blueberry orange marmalade and then some peach lavender jam! I am having a blast with making all this and love being able to give a jar out to neighbors! I have so far gotten all my recipes from the bread experience blog and I want to try so many more of her recipes! They all look incredible!! I also am looking forward to making peach butter. Today though I will be roasting tomatoes from the garden and canning those!! Wow wee what an adventure!!

I be jammin!!

Well, our garden really has put out some cucumbers!!! I mean cucumbers galore!! Randy started pickling them and we were trying to figure out another way to preserve our harvest so they don't just sit there and go bad. I mean we have alot of pickles and he is still making them! Our neighbor asked about cucumber jelly. I started searching but only found one really good site with a recipe. Most people have turned up their noses, until they try it! It is awesome!! I wouldn't try it with peanut butter on a sandwich or anything but it is great with crackers and cream cheese and also would be good with a cream cheese sandwich!! We had a watermelon in the kitchen that needed to be cut and I wanted him to make watermelon jelly so he finally gave in and did. We have gotten awesome comments on that also. So now my husband pickles, and makes jellies. I want in on this whole thing. I found an interesting recipe for cantaloupe cinnamon preserves. I am now making my first batch to be canned. It is a 24 hour recipe but so far pretty easy! I am so excited!! I am also planning on trying blueberry orange marmalade. Most of what I am working with we have gotten things from the farmers market but Randy has been taking from the garden!! How fun!! I have made cucumber bread though which came from the garden. I am also planning on what do do with all these cool peppers!! I am loving our garden and living in SC where so many awesome fruits and veggies are abundant certain times of the year!!