The Best September First EVER!!!!

I have had so much fun both preparing for and celebrating September First!

This morning I was up early just because I was too excited to sleep - just like yesterday!

I hopped out of bed and Louis Dean and I were drinking coffee before 9:00!

We did our reading and then I went to the kitchen. I put the soup on and it was SO good - if I do say so myself! I got creative with the recipe because I did not have just exactly all the ingredients. I threw in a big jar of taco sauce and a large can of red enchilada sauce and since I only had one can of Rotel tomatoes - I added some roasted hatch chili's. I really don't think there's any way you can mess up Nita's recipe no matter what you do.

It's a really good soup!

I had a bottle of white sangria so I added some things to it to make a good punch!

It was pretty and it was good!

That made it pretty good!!

Jesse, Leigh Ann, Sam, Faith and Levi arrived first and I was happy I had the appetizer table ready!

Kids are hungry!

Between the soup and the roasted garlic, the candles and and all the pumpkin scented plug ins and such - the house smelled so 'fall.' Never mind it was a really hot day with temps in the upper 90's.

This is Levi and he just blew us away with his piano playing!!

He recently discovered how much he loves music and taught himself to play by  watching YouTube.

His parents got him a teacher when they saw how well he was doing and how deeply he was interested - and he's been taking lessons now for a couple of months.

Sam is my first grandchild and I cannot believe he will be 17 this month!!

He will always be special to me. And look how TALL he is!!!

His mother's family is tall....ours is not.

Faith has been doing music for several years and plays and sings. 

We all just wished she had brought her guitar!

Amber took this pic and I love it!

It was such a happy day and there were smiles all around.

Jesse is my oldest son and Amber my youngest daughter.

The 'children's'table!

Levi absolutely loved being with the quads.

He is so much fun and a most loving grandchild.

After they ate - he came up to me and wrapped his arms around me and said, "MiMi, that was SUCH good food!!"

All the adults gathered in the dining room - including Sam and Faith.

Goodness! I was just getting used to having grown children! Ben is just now 31 years old!

Now I am going to have grown GRAND children!

Three beauties!

Three handsome guys!

And now for their music......

Faith played a song that was so beautiful it made me cry......

I was so intent in listening to it that I forgot to record!

I have a sewing kit for a Halloween stitching - you know the kind where you sew on sequins and beads. That's right up Trystan's alley and she helped me get started on it and then Logan took a turn.

These girls have always loved hanging around my sewing machine.

They have always been fascinated by the various pin cushions I have and have made designs with the straight pens many many times. They know ow to thread a needle and make simple stitches. As they get older I am planning on teaching them to sew.

All too soon it was time to say goodbye.

Jesse and his family left first so the kids could get to their church activities this evening.

We all came out on the porch to see them off and Kailey asked me, "Do they yell?"

It took me a minute to realixe she meant - did they roll down their windows and yell goodbye as they drive off! I told her, "No, that's something special only y'all do!"

It was an excellent day and we made a lot of good memories!

Amber sent me a text after they got home and told me Trystan said - upon driving on after they called out their goodbyes - "This just never gets old!"

First thing this morning, I used the random number generator to determine the winner and runner up for the Wildflower Honey.

I am absolutely amazed that the only person who would qualify as this being local honey to her won!

Jan of Waco, Texas!!

She and I have already planned to meet soon so I will be delivering her jar of honey in person.

Joy of Vintage Green won the runner up jar and I will be getting that in the mail to her in the next couple of days.

Neil Diamond is still singing - as he has been all day long - and I am going to turn off the lights and blow out the candles as we head to bed. I think I will leave the music on to greet me in the morning.

I have loved all my September Firsts - and have been celebrating them for at least the last 20 years - but this one has truly been the very best!

I can't tell y'all how full my heart is tonight.

I am so very very blessed......

Thank you, Lord......