In my blog I plan to chat about nature, crafts, baking, gardening, beekeeping, family, and whatever else seems appropriate at the time. Sit back, relax, and enjoy!

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Thanksgiving Day

We went to my sister and brother in-laws house for Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving started off with my niece walking in the door with this delicious drink/shot/dessert! 
She found the recipe on pinterest, and here it is. 
White Russian Pudding Shots

1 small package of Instant Chocolate Pudding
3/4 cup of Milk
1/4 cup of Vodka
1/2 cup of Irish Cream (Baileys is best)
8 oz of Extra Creamy Cool Whip

Mix pudding and milk for a couple of minutes with an electric mixer;  add alcohol, mix well.  Add Cool Whip.  Put the pudding mix into Individual serving cups with lids.  Keep in the freezer until ready to Serve!
We added a shot of whipped cream on them and they were delish!

My Sister had very cute table settings... 
 with trivia questions for everyone.  Great conversation starters by the way,
if anyone needs ideas for Christmas parties/dinners.
 
Everyone bowed their head for prayer before dinner.
 Time to eat!
 See that folding table at the end of the island...in the pic below.
 Well in this picture my sister is setting her cute little pumpkin pie-ettes out.
 see...pie-ettes.....because they are cute and little.  She put them on this gorgeous cake stand.
 And here my sister is giving our brother heck (you can tell by her hands in these next two pictures!) because he bumped the table leg and every little pie-ette went flying off of that cake plate and I am not kidding you one little bit!  Every...single...one.
 And there is my brother leaving the room after his scolding.
 And this would be me and my sister holding up our etched wine glasses.  My sister, Theresa with a T, etched them.   My name is Cindy with a C.  Something is seriously wrong with the size of these glasses!

This pumpkin roll is
from J. Edwards in Kokomo.

And this persimmon pudding from Cindy with a little wine glass.

 Very delicious dessert table.  That pecan pie was divine.  And I tell you what...I don't think one person walked by that table without kicking the legs!  Including me!  They stuck out, it couldn't be helped!
 And this is Adrienne cleaning out the trash can because her kid made a mess in it!  Right when Theresa pulled out the trash can liner to change it, Dylan dumped her plate of leftover food in the trash can!
 You can kind of see what's going on here....I think I had a good seat to witness all the kitchen trouble action going on!

 And here are several of us playing turkey games.
 I am not turning this picture right side up because it's late, I'm tired, I have to get up early, and I said I was posting every day.  I have one hour before this day is over!
  Those are turkey parts that match the dice.   You would all be rolling your own die (one dice-die? I dunno) at the same time and the first one to get all six parts to make a turkey wins.  I know...clear as mud.   Okay....Say I roll a six.  I put the feet part on the blank area of the page, because six =feet.   Then I roll a one, so I get the body.  I put that on the blank part of the page.  But if I roll a six again, or a one again, I can't do anything.   I just keep rolling until I get something I haven't got.  First person to make a whole turkey wins.
 This is a picture of Gloria and Ralph.  She wanted me to get a good picture of them.  I think this one is pretty good.  People always ask me why I take so many pictures.  Well I took six to get one without closed eyes or no smiles....
 and then someone got the brilliant idea of getting a picture for Mom and Dad of their grandkids.  This never goes well.  
Adrienne was inside forever while this group went out right when they said let's go take a pic.  It was cold out and they were complaining and Adrienne was taking her time.
 Then Andrew went out and said he wanted to be in front this time.  I am still laughing about that!
 And while I'm telling Andrew he cannot be in front, Ty decided he didn't want his picture taken.
 So off he goes.  I yell at my brother to grab him!
 Which he does.
And where is Adrienne!  Come on, we are cold!
 Finally....
And I took 14 pictures to get one good one.  Not counting the ones above.
 I had no idea that Dylan was making a goofy face in every...single...picture...


 except one.  And I am not kidding about this for one minute either.  Every...single...picture...and then  Sarah has her tongue out when Dylan decided to smile.   Really?  AUGH!
And tah dah!  13 pictures later.
We all sang Happy Birthday to Lorri, then started cleaning up the mess!
And I don't even know if Mom & Dad even saw these pictures.

We had a wonderful Happy Thanksgiving with family and friends. 

Cindy
PS.  Vickie, Robert and Ryan stopped by too, but I didn't get pictures of them.

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Part III - Evening and Day 2 of Shopping Trip

 After shopping at the indoor mall, we headed to our hotel. Yes we spend the night in a hotel.
 We all brought snack food for dinner.  We decided we would eat down by the pool.
Well Mom and Gloria decided they wanted to move the table from one side of the pool to the other, and the table fell apart! 
 dinner time...
 And the next morning Ashley fixed us up with mimosas!
 And Taylor showed us how to play on Snap Chat!


After breakfast, loading the car top carrier, and checking out of our hotel, we did a little more shopping.  We ate a late lunch and headed home. 
Here are some fun things I found in the mall.  This carousel.

 This little pop up store!  The store is actually a camper.  CUTE!  I could do this with Coral Belle.
 This help youself - fill a bag full of candy - shop.
 And Santa Claus!
 And look at us!  We got a good picture!

Cindy Bee

PS.  I'm trying very hard to post every day.  I have made it a goal to MAKE MEMORIES for the month of December.  Well....it's already started.  And I'm already behind.  So I'm posting daily to get caught up.  Might just post every day for the entire month!



Monday, November 28, 2016

Part II - Day 1 - Annual Shopping Trip 2016

 Another gift....This harmonica was a gift I gave the original shopping trip girls.  It all started as a joke.  I had worked with some guys that were playing harmonica in a band.  They talked me into getting one and I played around with it for awhile.  Well, I brought it on one of our shopping trips and on the way there I would play a tune and they would try to guess what I was playing. Yep, I was that bad!  So then I bought everyone a Harmonica, with a lesson book!  And do you think they learned to play?  No....but then the next year Aunt Irene bought me a packet of play instruments that we all played on the way there.  Then Ashley bought us all recorders (which I had mine out a couple of weeks ago practicing!)  Then I think Vickie bought a bag of play instruments that we take every now and then....
And this year Vickie gave Taylor, Aunt Irene's harmonica (which apparently she never opened!)
And funny story...a few years ago I was backing out of the driveway, with Theresa in the front seat and Mom in the back.  I heard this loud 'sound', kind of like a horn.  I SLAMMED on the brakes.  It was Mom, in the back seat, blowing on her harmonica!

So...here we are... in our matching sweatshirts.   Click here to see a post of our matching sweatshirts over the years.
  In the last couple of years Mom and Gloria haven't gone with us.  And Taylor has never gone with us.  (Rule is you have to be 16.  We bent that rule for her)  So, the four of us had the shirts.  But when Mom and Gloria decided to go this year, Vickie and Ashley made a trip to Purdue and bought two more sweatshirts.  Then when Taylor decided to go, they made another trip over there!
Here we are!



And off we go....all crammed into one van with a car top carrier!

We actually got off to a rocky start.  We had a 'gully-washer' the night before and Gloria went out and drove her van through some water. WTH-Gloria! 
 Well, the catalytic converter messed up on her van, and a light came on her dashboard.  Thing is, she had the car top carrier on her vehicle.  So on Friday evening, before we were to leave on Saturday morning, she called.  I was on my way out the door and didn't answer right away.  Long story short, my sister and I were trying to decide which one of our vehicles we should drive, or maybe both.  Remember we have overnight bags too.  And at the same time Gloria was calling, Vickie was texting.  She didn't have power and couldn't get packed or the  house picked up, in the dark.
 But Vickie's lights came back on and she hustled and got packed.  And her husband, Robert, met Gloria at the car place early Saturday morning and all worked out.  So off we go....
 Theresa's getting into the donuts already!  Cute matching hats.
YUM!
 Robert trying to direct us out of the drive.  He started yelling...something about hitting another car in the drive.  We had to start over!
 It's ok Vickie...we'll get going sooner or later!
Ashley's been practicing!

 But we have not practiced!

 It was quite the morning for this young'n to take in!

  We finally arrived at the outdoor mall in Ft. Wayne.  As you can see, it was a bit cloudy, and it was also very windy.

Food Porn at the Vera Bradly store!  They didn't offer us one though (sad face) 
 So, we were getting ready to leave, but met at the tree to get our picture taken, as is tradition....

 and this happened!
 Can't see Theresa.....Can't see Mom....
 Mom need to squish in more...
 Still can't see Theresa...Ashley get in picture...That's better Mom...
 OK we're getting there....
 Oh no....the tree....
 we need to all move over.....We don't have the tree in the pic........
wait........the tree isn't in the picture....
hold up....I'm not smiling...
WAIT!......
 Nope...not waiting.....to the indoor mall we go.


 to be continued.....

Cindy