Our Weekend With Trystan and Labor Day......

 We have been looking forward to some one-on-one time with our Grand Quads and this weekend was Trystan's turn to spend the weekend - all by herself!

She arrived Saturday afternoon shortly after Amber had dropped off Kailey with her Grandmommy.

Both sets of grandparents absolutely love these super special visits where we can put our complete focus on ONE grandchild. It's as special for the kids as it is for us.

The above photo is courtesy of Trystan who has a knack for photo editing.

Harrison is filling his water bottle up with MeeMaw's tea!

He and Kailey and their mommy were heading out to Hawaiian Falls for the afternoon.

I love that he likes my tea.....ALL my grandchildren do, I believe.

From when they were tiny I used to give them sips and I guess you could say they have all grown up drinking my 'funky' tea. I mix tea bags and seldom make the same concoction twice.

This day's tea was a blend of herbal, floral, green and black teas.

And it's always better with mint and a piece of fruit!

The very first thing Trystan and I did was to shop at Aldi!

The kids love to go with me to that store.

Amber's a Target Lady all the way so Aldi is a whole different venture!

Naturally, we found lots of cool stuff!

Our first meal of the day together was simple grilled hotdogs.

We ate fairly quickly and went right to the kitchen!

Trystan and I cooked and baked all the rest of the afternoon!

I put some chicken on to stew and we made chicken and dumplings - Trystan's first time to make OR eat that particular dish! And she LOVED it!

She chopped up a good bit of celery to add to the chicken as it simmered.

I made a batch of spiced pumpkin muffins while Trystan dipped the ends of butter pretzels into melted vanilla wafers.

Together we packed a nice bag of goodies to take over to Kimmy and June.

Some of the dipped pretzels and a container of mixed fresh fruit - Trystan sliced up all the strawberries - and we added a few slices of lemon loaf and a container of whipped topping. What else?? Banana moon pies, and a bit of this and that and some chicken and dumplings!

June smiled so big as she visited with Trystan for a few minutes but it was Kimmy that she hung out with - she talked to her for over and hour and Kimmy absolutely loved that!

As June's caregiver, it was a nice break for her to stay in the kitchen and talk while Louis Dean and I sat in the living room with June.

June and I enjoyed our visit and..... 

Louis Dean was looking exceptionally cute that evening.

Shortly after this picture - June and I looked over and he was sound asleep - with his mouth wide open!

Sweet Maggie sat up on the back of the sofa keeping Louis Dean company.

We stayed longer than we meant to so it was a late supper of chicken and dumplings for us on Saturday night.

We started this movie while we were eating and stopped for hot buttered popcorn a quarter way into it.

Then we had dessert!

Trystan plated it up so pretty!

We didn't quite finish the film and even so it was after midnight before we went to bed.

Trystan is not accustomed to sleeping alone in a room but it didn't take her half a minute and she was out like a light.

I had thought I'd be the first one up Sunday morning - but Trystan beat me to it.

I prepared a Breakfast Tray for us loaded with all sorts of good things.

Fruit medley, pumpkin muffins, strawberry Pop Tart, cheese and beef sausage bites, Pumpkin sticks....

and pumpkin spice coffee with lots of good creamer!

I used special cups and saucers from England gifted to me by Summer years ago.

I love using my pretty things.....

...and I love this little grand girl!

We got ready and met up with Amber and Harrison and Logan at Fellowship Church.

Love this photo!!

The kids are all growing up so fast!

We all put our best foot forward!

It was kind of fun to part ways and take Trystan back home with us!!

Our menu for Sunday lunch was Louis Dean's request - fried potatoes - as in a good bit of oil!

He made that. And shrimp - I made that in the air fryer. We bought frozen egg rolls and had that as well.

Trystan was impressed with that meal, too.

Amber is such a good cook that I was super pleased when Trystan liked the meals so much.

We finished the Enola Holmes movie while we ate and by the time it was over - a weather change had happened and the temps fell and some light rain blew in.

We rushed right out to the gazebo where we spent a few hours decorating.

Trystan had some really good ideas and worked hard transforming the chaos into a spooky and clever Halloween gazebo!

We didn't get it all finished but Louis Dean and I will put the last bits together tomorrow night.

I like doing it after sundown so you can see what works with the fairy lights and all.

It was about 6:30 when we went back to the kitchen to do some more cooking! 

Together we cooked up a huge batch of goulash!

Trystan chopped up a LOT of onion for me.

I had bought this HUGE sweet onion from New Mexico for $1.77.

I sliced it all up and it nearly filled a gallon sized Zip Lock bag and I have been using it every time I cook. She chopped all that was left in the bag - and added about half of what she chopped to the ground beef. Notice the fall shaped pasta? We bought that at Aldi on Saturday.

The other thing we cooked was fried apples and I used my vintage Miracle Maid waterless cookware to cook them. Sliced apples, butter, nutmeg and a bit of water. Easy peasy and really good!

I didn't really realize that Monday was Labor Day and NOT a school day so Trystan didn't have to be home early on Sunday night until we were sipping our coffee together Sunday morning.

Well, that knowledge gave Trystan the idea of watching another movie before we had to take her home.

While I plated our dinner, she went out in the den and found us a movie using the clever Firestick Summer and Amber set us for us.

This was SUCH a good movie and I enjoyed every single bit of it!

One reason is that all four kids went to the tryouts at school last week - tryouts for dance and theater.

ALL three girls got into dance and Harrison got theater!

That made this movie even more enjoyable!

And I can't wait to see them perform later this school year.

They are in the 5th grade......and I am going to treasure every single minute of this school year.

Next year they move up to ****gasp**** Junior High, HOW can that be???

Louis Dean and I slept late this morning and I had a good Home Day!

I changed sheets on our bed, paid our bills and worked on my budget, cleaned the bathrooms and did the laundry, packed a couple of things to mail as well as a birthday bag for my friend, Brenda.

Lots of this and lots of that.

I cleaned the windows where Louis Dean sprayed with wasp and hornet spray.

I pinned together the quilt top and batting to the backing for a gift for my sister Rita's new grandson.

Earlier this evening, Louis Dean and I took a Care Package of goulash and fried apples and coleslaw over to Kimmy and June.

I rang the bell and waited a good while and then rang it once again.

It's unusual for Kimmy not to open the door fairly soon after the bell.

June came to the door and said Kimmy was in the back bedroom with Sophie.

This precious pet has congested heart failure and just after the first doorbell rang - she fell over with a sudden seizure - and Kimmy knew just what to do. She quickly took her to her room where she could elevate her head. By the time I left, Sophie was feeling better. Still, this is such a heavy burden for Kimmy and June to bear for their beloved girl.

It's been a great weekend and I have done so much better with my grieving - at least for now.

Sunday evening my son Jesse called and I talked to him for a few minutes and in the process did a little bit of crying as I spoke of working on my book while Louis Dean and I are in Mountain View, Arkansas later this week and that I never dreamed Nita would not be alive when I finally publish it.

I have a box of Nita's scarves and she put ALL of them on and was putting on such a great dancing act that my tears dried right up.

That's about it for this holiday weekend.....

Louis Dean is out on the driveway waiting for me to have a glass of wine with him.

But before I leave.....

I have news from the country!

Dean and Sherry have a new baby boy goat!!!!

We will be there to meet him on the 14th!