I have not blogged in months so this is just some of the highlights since the last post.
My new brother in law Tommie requested sweet potato pie for Thanksgiving and I thought it was as good a time as any to try. We don't go to Donna and Tommie's until after we have been to my mom's where we pig out...so I didn't try the sweet potato pie because I was full of pumpkin pie etc. This was my first try...looks like pumpkin which I prefer but I hear it was good. I used Paula Deen's recipe so I am sure it was very good...not healthy though! I also sent whipped cream along for the topping. My mother in law told me they probably had Cool Whip and I shouldn't go to any trouble. I informed her that after going to the trouble of baking a pie, they were not going to desecrate it with Cool Whip! Just another of those things I have little use for except in a couple of specific recipes. A lot of people like sweet potato pies but I love pumpkin and can make them in my sleep...nearly. Besides I loathe sweet potatoes except baked with salt and pepper only...no marshmallow, nuts or syrup for me. There are not many foods I won't eat but candied, smothered sweet upon sweet yams is at the top of my list along with liver. My mother has probably tried every recipe under the sun and I do try them but it's just too much!!!
Christmas:
As always the Christmas festivities began with my daughter's Christmas Dance recital. Sydney is in her 7th year of dance and loves it. She is taking Jazz, Lyrical and HipHop. They did Jazz and HipHop performances and no Lyrical. There are no special costumes this time of year, only studio sweatshirts and black jazz pants. They are encouraged to wear Christmas socks and hair ribbons if they want. The first 3 years these performances were held at Ridgmar Mall by Macy's between two escalators...just a little cramped and we could never get good pics except one year when Courtnay crawled around on the floor with the camera! Anyway, I can't stress how elated I am each year when Iwe don't have to drag my 85 year old mother in law through the mall and that crowd! She's is a real trooper!
In February there was the Father Daughter dance with our church...even my husband said it was the best one so far!!! It was a western theme complete with a mechanical bull! Since we had already bought her a fancy dress, she got to add a pair of boots to the outfit!
Then we had our homeschool Valentine party...loads of fun!
Last month my sister, daughter and I drove to my cousin Jenn's in McKinney to meet her new son Tate. He is precious as are her 2 year old daughter Aneliese and her son J.D. The chocolate mustaches were favors that my aunt Gayle made. Yum! This is Sydney goofing around in the back seat with Instagram on our way home. My sister and I talked all the way there and all the way home...We don't get to do that often enough.
Last month we also lost this guy...Romeo, the best cat ever! I have had more cats than I can count and cats can be very disappointing because sometimes they get out and fight or get run over, sometimes they grow old and stay with us for years but this guy just vanished and it's been really hard to let go. He was a real lover and lived up to his name. The hardest part is no knowing what happened to him. The lady at our town's animal control is Jennifer and I'm sure she is sick of me and Rick after nearly 4 weeks. My husband chased her down last week when she retrieved a dead gray and white cat from our neighbor's back yard and even looked in the bag but it wasn't him. I asked Sydney to wait until the fall before we get another cat. We have Noel and Belle and have kept and extra eye on them and Noel has very strict hours he can go outside and he has been very willing to oblige so I think he understands, he is grieving too. Not usually a very snuggly cat he has started sleeping in my bed with his paws wrapped around my arm or resting on my arm.
Last weekend Emma Claire came for a sleepover...it was a late night but fun!
