Soup & Salad

Yesterday was our family's annual soup and salad dinner. My aunt started this tradition several years ago. It's always the Sunday, before Thanksgiving. We look forward to it from one year to the next.

Every family brings a soup and/or a salad, and we taste, sample, and eat soup and salad info with fixings and desserts. This gathering is NOT for the dieter!

I always enjoy trying to find a new soup to make. This year I made my family's new favorite, Aaron McCargo Jr.'s Cheeseburger soup, it was yummy! But the most interesting soup was the hosting aunt's Pumpkin stew.

She made her beef stew on the stove the put it in the pumpkin and baked it. How cool is that?!... Way cool!!!

I've never eaten pumpkin other than the seeds, and I was pleasantly surprised. So much so I can't wait to make it myself.

Does your family have holiday traditions?

*I downloaded the blogger app, and this is my first blogpost from my phone. I feel so so tech savvy!*

Fighting A Nasty Bug

There is a nasty bug crawling through my house, infecting one person after the other.

Early last week, my 14 yo started coughing, snotting, and sneezing. Friday, baby girl called from school crying, she was experiencing all of her sister's symptoms, plus a headache. Sunday morning my 16 yo woke up feeling a little off, by early afternoon she had all of baby girl's symptoms, plus a burning sore throat. Monday morning, Mr. Husband took her to a walk in clinic, where she was diagnosed with a highly contagious virus. 

As this bug passes along it's picking up momentum. It's kicking butts, and taking names!

Yesterday, my oldest daughter started feeling bad, with all of the 16 yo's symptoms, and body aches. Mr. Husband also fell prey, and this morning he's running a fever.

When baby girl started feeling bad, I started taking the cold and flu medicine I was giving everyone else. So far I've had a throat tickle, and light cough. Warm tea with fresh ginger, as well as eating lemons have been my home remedy. 

I'm trying my best to stay well, and fight that bug that has invaded my household.  The 16 yo promised she'd take care of me, if I get sick. Can I get a raincheck please?!    

 

Going To Work

Last week my 9th grader #2, joined my 10th grade daughter #4, on the high school girls basketball team, after the Jr. High's seasoned ended.

Like the mother, blogger, and daughter of my dad that I am, I had my still camera, and a video camera with me. I was snapping, and recording away. This picture is my favorite. I don't know why I love pictures of people walking away so much. I used Picnik to work a little magic, and wa-la!

This was a great game, and we won! The older of the two, #4 led the team in scoring, with 15 points. Her game high is actually 21 points, and she plays shooting guard. Number two plays point guard. They both  have had sights on attending University of Tennessee, since they played at the "Y."

If you can't tell... I'm a very proud Mama. Go Fillies!!!

Family Reunion

Recently, we attended our family reunion. Each year we go back to the place where my grandparents raised eight children we loving call "Down Home." This year was the best it's been in a very long time. More of my cousins came with their children. My uncle said there were 5,000 children there. It was a long way from it, but there were plenty!

The kids sang and danced on the porch just as we did when we were kids. If I walked that road between my grandparents and great grand parents house one time, I walked it a thousand, and our children were doing the same. They walked back and forth, in 100 degree temperatures. And for that reason, the picture above is my favorite of all the pictures I took over the weekend.

Some people would get tired of going to the same place year after year for their family reunion. Not me. I love returning to that place in the country, although my grandparents are no longer there. Sharing with my children that it was because of their great, great, great, great grandfather, who was a slave that we even have this place, along with a ton of other memories is very important to me.

We can vacation anywhere, but HOME is where the heart is.