Our Weekend......

We had company this weekend!

Amber brought the quads over Friday afternoon and hey stayed until Saturday evening.

Visits are few and far between now that they are in school fulltime.

We were working out in the front yard when they arrived so they played out there while I cleaned off the porch and put down some new rugs Sister Nita gave us. The earthquakes in Irving have done a number on our porch and driveway. It is on our agenda to have both redone next year but in the meantime - I AM the 'Queen of Cover Up!'

I forgot to get a photo but one large rug is where we have our chairs for 'Driveway Sitting' and the others are on the front porch. They look really nice! Thank you, Nita!!

We went in and while I fixed lunch,  the kids scattered through the house finding all their favorite things to do.

Grandad and Kaily......

they held hands all through lunch.

Next up?

Music!

Louis Dean put out several percussion instruments onn the couch and then started to play the guitar.

It didn't take any time for each child to find something to play and join in with him.

Trystan thrilled Grandad's heart by wanting to keep on playing.

They always love to color so I already had the coloring books - I use the adult ones that feature scripture verses - as well as the crayons and markers out on the table.

For dinner I made an acorn pasta and autumn sauce I bought at Trader Joe's. I added a hefty amount of ground beef to it making it very filling. The kids ate nearly the entire bowl! Louis Dean barely touched his because everyone knows he 'hates' PASTA! Unless it's spaghetti and that's different.

Everyone got into their pajamas before we started our Popcorn/Movie and Coke Night!

Except we didn't have any Cokes!

Our movie of choice?

It was excellent!

The kids were totally involved and it kept their attention, plus Louis Dean and I both loved it!

We didn't finish all of it since I wanted to get everyone to bed on time.

They were all asleep shortly after 9:00 and we followed by 10:00 ourselves.

There's something special about waking up with children in your house.

I had left small snack bags of vailla wafers for them to snack on when they first wake up.

That gives us a few extra minutes of sleep. By 9:00 we were all up!

I made the coffee and put a little bit in a teapot and then filled it up with milk fo the three girls.

Cafe Au Lait! Coffee flavored milk!

Only the girls like coffee!

Harrison follows after his mommy and daddy - neither one of them drink coffee!

But they do love the smell!

I made a hearty breakfast of bacon - REAL bacon -not turkey! - and eggs and lots and lots of hash browns! That's Harrison's favorite!

Saturday went by fast!

We did crafts on the dining room table......

Angels made out of coffee filters!

We played in the back yard and cleaned out the big toy box!

They filled three paper bags with things they have outgrown.

They called them 'Baby Toys.' Now they are 'Big Kids!'

They picked the peppers from our garden and there were lots of them!

We started The 21 Rules of the House - was it just this year?

They remind me every single time they come so they must really like doing them!

They can quote all the rules from 1 - 12!

Before they started illustrating theirs, they said, "Let's look at the one Mommy did!"

Amber did the complete set when she was about the same age they are now.

Can you tell who did which one?

Logan, Trystan

Harrison, Kailey

We squeezed in one more movie before the parents came to get them.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Thanksgiving Promise is a television-made drama movie, was originally aired on The Disney Sunday Movie on ABC on Sunday Night, November 23, 1986.

Travis Tilby (Jordan Bridges) leaps into action when neighbor Stewart Larson (Lloyd Bridges) asks him to mind an ailing goose that's slated to be part of Thanksgiving dinner. A gentle animal lover, Travis dotes on the bird, feeding it by hand and speaking to it in soothing tones. But, as Thanksgiving nears, Travis has second thoughts about seeing the bird slaughtered, and he appeals to his father, Hank (Beau Bridges), and others in the community for help in saving the goose.

I made up a batch of Elephant Ears during part of the movie, but I could still hear it from the kitchen.

These are similar to funnel cakes but a little different.

You mix the yeast with water and then add it to the mix. It proofs for 30 minutes and then you fry them in oil. I pulled out my old Fry Daddy from years and years ago!!

It worked like a charm. The mix makes a dozen. You drop the dough in - two at a time - and they cook 30 seconds to one minute on each side. After they are all done, you sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar. They are YUMMY!!!

We carried them out to our driveway sitting place to eat them.

Can you believe they ate them all? Each child ate two, Louis Dean and I each had one and the last two were up for grabs. I think Harrison and Kailey got them!

All too soon, it was time for them to go home.

The parents arrived and as they pulled away from the curb, they rolled the windows down and called out their goodbyes and love yous as we called out ours!

When we went back in the house - it seemed so quiet.

All the energy had left with the quads.

This morning we attended our home church for the first time in a long time!

It felt good to be back.

We all went to lunch at Dickie's BBQ just like old times!

Then Louis Dean went home with Mike and the girls while Amber, Harrison and I did a little shopping. Amber is great at finding bargains and has been helping me with my Christmas shopping for the last 10 years! She outdoes herself every year!

It was late this afternoon when we got home.

I had worn the wrong shoes and was tired so I climbed back up in bed and rested for a good while.

I finally got up and changed the sheets on the bed - using the red and white Christmas flannels - and then I bit the bullet and opened up the Christmas storage house!

Once it's open and I start pulling out the tubs and bags, my heart settles down and I think, "I can DO this!!!" 

The very first room to decorate is special.

Last year it was the gazebo and that remained our favorite Christmas room for 2016.

This year I chose our bedroom.

Normally, I use pops of red in here with all the white, but lately I have been thinking about what I want to do differently.

I did enough tonight to know I have my inspiration!

I can finish this tomorrow and then move on throughout the house.

I know I want to do something different in the gazebo this year but the den and kitchen stay pretty much the same year after year. I have a couple of ideas for the living room and dining room.

 Tweaks, really.

The hard part is over! The decorating has started!

Let the Magic begin!