So LET’S GO and recap November!!!

School continued to roll along in November, and here are the only three photos I have of that fact!

We have had such a great year with school this year, even with everything else that has been going on!

I also have read some GREAT books aloud to the children!

Did you know that I do look back at our blog and enjoy reading it?

I really enjoy looking at the photos from the kitchen too!

It helps me remember things that I have made and should make again!

Good thing I take so many photos of food!!

I have been enjoying making our bread for quite awhile now, but I am still learning!

As can be seen by this loaf with a big hole across the top of it.

Well, we gave the top to the goats, and I used the short slices that were left to make french toast one morning!

It was still useable and delicious!

I really enjoy baking and it has been even more fun now that I take my in-laws meals and baked goods a couple times a week.

We go through a lot of yummy muffins and quick breads!!

We buy our flour in bulk and store it in food grade buckets downstairs.

It is SO handy to have a full pantry of great ingredients!!

Tate has enjoyed cooking more than baking in the past, but he is starting to bake more these days and enjoying that too!

Eliza is starting to enjoy the kitchen more on her own too!

But she is always willing to be my big helper anytime I ask!

Of course having all of those bulk ingredients is a great help in feeding so many people, but another great help is having a plan.

I still make meal plans and we stick to them about ninety percent of the time!

I even write down snack, breakfast and lunch ideas so that I do not have to think on my feet.

Making things from scratch is important to me – and much more cost effective – besides being more healthy!

Tate saw this recipe for shrimp scampi fettucine in a new cookbook we have and wanted to make it – so we did!

We have made it again since then as well!

It got rave reviews!!

I am still enjoying sourdough recipes and use my sourdough all the time!

It is very fun for me and a nice creative outlet.

Sourdough waffles are a favorite around here and I make them in bulk to store in the freezer so my family can just toast them for breakfast.

There are times when I either do not have a plan or the day is not allowing the plan to work out – so we wing it!!

Making a quick meal with no plan means that you first use up leftovers – and sometime you reinvent the leftovers – like we did here with these baked potatoes!

A quick meal with no plan most always includes eggs – because we have them in our backyard!

I am still bulk buying our groceries, which I LOVE.

I do end up somewhere each Friday, though, to buy produce for the week ahead.

Sometimes we also need a special ingredient that I grab too.

Sometimes you also find a great Christmas present at the grocery store – like these cute dog socks (photo below)!

When I was loading the van that day, one of the sparkling waters slipped out of the package and rolled underneath the van.

My van was blocked in on all sides, so I could not move it to a different parking spot to retrieve that bottle!!

But I could not leave it there, ha, ha!!

So I pulled out, jumped out of the van, got it, and jumped back in all while being looked at like I was nuts.

You would not have left it there either, would have you??

Other November happenings:

My oldest grandchild, Clyde, turned nine.
There was a BIG election.
We had dentist appointments.
We had orthodontist appointments.
We bought Jazzy a new crate that serves as an end table too.
Speaking of Jazzy – she is the sweetest cuddliest puppy ever!

At the beginning of November, my trio and I went shopping for Operation Christmas Child and filled shoeboxes to be donated.

This is a tradition for us that kicks off the holiday season!!

We had a great time that day and then that evening as we put our shoeboxes together.

Speaking of traditions, we covered our sliding glass doors with homemade snowflakes again this year, in an effort to keep the birds from running into the glass!

It is a group project that sits on the table for days and days until the windows are finally full enough!

Lane still works at the library, and we still enjoy books!

It’s a pretty perfect fit!!

I, of course, pick books that are such light fun topics, right???

It took us clear into November to finally harvest all of the garden!

We were a smidge busy!!!

But it was ok because the weather cooperated.

We pulled the rest of the carrots and leeks, and also cleaned up the leaves and landscape.

It was super great to be outside in the “warmer than usual” weather!

I pulled out the Christmas and winter decor right around then too, which meant I found some cute mugs in those totes!

I used a couple of them, but ended up back with the mug I use every day – it is just the easiest one to hold!!

My trio and I always find things to do when we are home, and enjoy being together very much!!

I have no idea how I will cope when all of these kiddos are grown and gone someday!

I tell them often that there are seven days in a week, so I will just spend every day of the week at each of their homes – a different home each day!!!

Eliza is continuing on with her piano lessons, but Tate decided not to anymore.

I usually hang out downstairs while Eliza has her daily 45 minute lesson on-line.

I may or may not lay on a couch and snooze during that time!!

But I promise I am listening.

Well, lookie here – it’s me!

Blake always tells me that the children are going to wish they had photos of me too – but I hardly ever take any!!

Here’s a pro tip from someone who runs errands every Friday morning – keep your coffee warm with your hat.

Life changing information, I know.

You are welcome!!

A few more random photos to include!!!

Random, unposed photos are the BEST ones to look back on, don’t you agree?

We received our Christmas cards in November, because somehow I was on top of that project!!

And then there is a photo of my favorite place ever.

The kitchen.

The third photo is of a little coffee spot in our town!

I went there early one Saturday morning in November with a friend and we chatted for hours!!!

We celebrated more birthdays in November.

My grandchildren will not obey me and quit growing like I told them to!

We had our puppy, Jazzy, spay the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.

I think the third photo below will give you a good idea how she felt about that fact.

Poor Jazzy!!

Honestly though, she did SO GOOD with this, and really was only down and out the day it happened!

We celebrated Thanksgiving with our tradition of delivering meals Thanksgiving Day late morning for several hours.

We have done this for many years now and it is SUCH a great way to celebrate being thankful for all we have – by serving others!!

After we returned home early that afternoon, the family joined us for a yummy meal!!

Have you been around here long enough to know I love the sky?

Well, I DO!!

Life got away from me there for a while last year and the beginning of this year, and I had to remind myself to not forget to LOOK AT THE SKY.

I never, ever want to stop being in awe of what God has created for us!!!

It is just so so beautiful!

This post got long!!

Only four more months to catch up on – YIKES!!

Well, this kind of feels like a full circle moment.

I got the blog working again.

We got the computer working again!

I FOUND THE TIME to enjoy this hobby of mine!!

This season I am living in right now is the FULLEST one yet!!!

Full of the best kinds of things!!

But my doctor even reminded me that I have to make time to enjoy simple things that I miss.

I missed this little ole blog of ours!!

I am glad to be enjoying it again!!

Stay tuned for December, January, February and March recaps!!

Until then….