MUST SING WHILE VIEWING...

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

With the kitchen's a smelling

And everyone saying

 "We're glad you are here"

It's the most wonderful time of the year

It's the hap-happiest season for Waughs

With the holiday eating 

and games we are playing

We're not at the mall!

It's the hap-happiest season of all!

WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU CANDY CORN...

you make turkey cookies!  I thought I'd try this new flavored candy corn, "Pumpkin Spice," and to my surprise, no one in my family liked them!  So, what to do with them?  Pinterest, of course!  These turkey cookies were a super cute idea and easy, too!  Maybe somebody will like them at Thanksgiving!

SOUP OF THE WEEK...

ORECCHIETTE, SAUSAGE & BROCCOLI IN BROTH!

Or rather, I should say, "Seashells" instead of Orecchiette.  I couldn't find this pasta, which I found out means "little ears" because of the way it is shaped.  Seashell pasta was close enough.  This was an interesting combination which improves with age!  I like broccoli well enough, but the only soup I had ever had it in is Broccoli Cheese, which everybody knows is really not soup at all (my opinion).  The sausage is strong enough to make the broccoli a secondary favor, so like I said, it's an interesting combination.  If you are trying to find more ways to eat your broccoli, try this one.

MAKING IT FEEL MORE LIKE HOME...

 This week I was a shower hostess for an old friend whose daughter is getting married - the first one of all our girls!  It was fun reminiscing about our own weddings 25-30 years ago.  Another friend did all the decorating and she went above and beyond trying to make the church parlor feel more like a home setting.

What I thought was interesting was her use of the punchbowl as the centerpiece on the table - so many times we spend money on flowers or something else that cannot be used again.  I also loved the "kissing balls" she hung from the ceiling to define the space.  She already had those and just added the ribbon to them.  I'm not sure anyone has ever hung anything from the ceiling in this room.

She also added these touches to make it more personal - it's always nice for someone to do "a little extra"!

FOUND WHILE RUMMAGING...

I enjoy going through old photos and scrapbooking and have been working through lots of pictures that belonged to my grandmother.  When I took the baby photos of my aunt out of this frame, I was thrilled to see these original paper photos that came in the frame back in the 1950's - one of them you probably know...Spencer Tracy!  The other was Esther Williams, who I haven't heard of, but looked her up and she was an American competitive swimmer who became a star of "Aquamusicals."  Sadly, I think the Aquamusical genre is long gone.  Esther just died a few months ago and sounds like an interesting lady!

ENJOYING THE SEASON...

from the King of creation and King of my life!  (We sang that song yesterday)  The hubs and I thought it was a little windy for bike riding Saturday, so we did something we hadn't done in a LONG time - we walked around Martin Nature Center!  

Good choice...loving my man and this season (of life).

SOUP OF THE WEEK...

PENNE & BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH SAGE CROUTONS!

Loved this one.  It tastes really close to potato soup with the bacon and onions it has in it!  But it has to be healthier than white potato soup.  Great condiments with the Gruyere cheese, croutons and fresh parsley!  Definitely a keeper. I think next time I will not puree the entire soup as directed, but only half of it since the hubs likes a chunky soup.  

Sauteing the bacon and onion

Baking the butternut squash

Mmmm...good!

DIDN'T KNOW HE HAD IT IN HIM...

Just a little video montage from my son's performance with ACT II the other night - we had no idea he could sing that high!!!  They've got a new teacher and new uniforms so we were eagerly anticipating this first concert...I think the new guy is working out just fine!

ANTI-FALL BALL...

This year the winter formal in December changed to a fall ball in November.    It didn't really affect us this time, because my son and his friends did their own thing that night.  Their ANTI-fall ball turned out to be dinner and roller skating!  They did dress up...and I have no pictures :(  because the hubs and I had plenty of events ourselves to attend this past weekend which I also have no pictures of, I'm a slacker, can you tell I've got an attitude this morning?  So that's the way it is sometimes!

Got lots of selfies from him, though:

SOUP OF THE WEEK...

CHICKEN TOMATILLO WITH CHIPOTLE CHILIES!

Delicious but labor intensive!  Now that I've made it I think I could shorten the steps and just cook the chicken in the microwave, but I try to stay true to the recipe first time around.  The broth is spicy hot and good, filled with pureed tomatillos, onions, and chipotle chilies.  Another thing that makes this soup good is the suggested condiments:  diced avocado, tortilla chips, grape tomatoes and cheese.  The family loved it but of course loaded it down with cheese!
  

 Cooking the chicken in the broth with fresh oregano and cilantro

 Getting ready to puree the tomatillos, onions, and chipotle chilies

 A spicy hot mess

 Add in the shredded chicken

A colorful soup!

TRADITIONS ARE GOOD, BUT...

My attempts to be mother-of-the-year have been futile!  My son recently burst that bubble...

Every Halloween my mother has a tradition of making chili and getting visits from the family.  Since all of her grandchildren are now past the trick-or-treating age, the chili dinner is quite popular!  So my son brought a friend with him to her house and they proceeded to carve pumpkins...and he actually said to me, "This is like only the second time I've ever carved a pumpkin..." and I said, "WHAT??? I have carved pumpkins with you every Halloween since you were born!"  Well maybe minus the last few years (the disinterested middle school years)...

My son's memory of pumpkin carving was off, but it made me sad.  I have tried to give my kids every wonderful holiday experience there is...and for what???  It also made me think how many things my husband and I have done with our kids to make them well rounded.  We've traveled all over the United States to promote learning, along with family togetherness.  Enrolled them in sports - some they were successful in, some not.  We encouraged them in the arts by making sure they took different kinds of music lessons.  Every summer we paid for special camps and classes to enrich them.  We opened our home to their friends so that we could oversee their activities. We loved them, disciplined them, provided routine and security.

But still there are gaps.  There is no perfect parent.  I come to the conclusion that the best thing I did do for them was to try to "bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord"- that's Ephesians 6:4, the old KJV.  Modeling Christ in my everyday life is what they will really remember!  Seeing my reactions to circumstances, other people, and watching how I serve.  Did we set aside time to worship, read the Bible, and pray?  All those years of child-rearing - did I really serve Christ or myself?  I don't know what all they'll remember but I hope it is that their parents were followers of Christ.

Suddenly it doesn't matter so much to me if my son remembers all those times I carved pumpkins with him...

ALMOST A PERFECT DAY...

except for a few earthquakes!  Crazy morning being shaken at 4:30 a.m. by a 3.7!  There were a few more little ones and then when we were headed out at 9 a.m. another big one.  Nothing like a few of those to remind you this earth will eventually be destroyed and all our stuff is meaningless!  But never mind the earthquakes, no real harm done here except a few nerves rattled...

The hubs and I made a spur of the moment trip to the Wichita Mountains to hike, and it was gorgeous!  Fall color all around - just a lovely day to walk and bask in God's beautiful world.  I hope there are beautiful hikes in heaven!  Can't imagine the colors...

 We went off trail and found a few surprises - like this old dam made 

with round rocks like the buildings in Medicine Park.

 Ooooh...

 Ahhhh...

 The hubs is so patient with me...all the beautiful colors prompted me to take lots of pics.

 We rounded a corner and came face to face with this guy!  

He didn't care much about us.

Selfie with Mr. Buffalo

 Apple and pear rock

Like I said, an almost perfect day.  We ended by eating a late lunch at the Meers store, then getting a DQ Blizzard in Chickasha...loving my man and being able to just have a day like this together!