CHRISTMAS SHOPPING

Friday morning, my daughter, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, and her daughter-in-law, and I left home at 6:00 a.m. to join the thousands of other people who were out taking advantage of all the bargains on the day after Thanksgiving. I have to tell you that we had a wonderful time together and did find some great deals. I am much closer to being finished shopping that I was before. We didn't get back home until after 7:30 p.m. and were all exhausted, but the laughter was worth it all. We couldn't have gotten another package in the car if we had tried. I was driving and my neice made this picture with her cell phone from the front looking back. As you can see....there are packages every where.
I hope each of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I enjoyed the time spent with family and friends. Our son and his family left this morning going back home to Louisiana. I've missed visiting with you but wanted to spend as much time as I could with my babies while they were here.

I AM BLESSED

Having a house full of grandchildren running around, toys scattered every where, preparing "favorite" foods for those you don't see often are just some of the reasons that I am so happy. Sure there will be many more people at my house on Thanksgiving day than I have places for them to sit doesn't bother me. We are family! I'm so thankful each time I hear one of my children say that they love Thanksgiving because the whole family is together. (They mean all 42 who will be there on Thursday). There will be so much food but the main thing they love is the fact that we as a family are together this one time each year. I am indeed blessed and I am most thankful for all that God has given me. I want each of you (my new blogging friends) to know that I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I probably won't be posting again until the weekend but you know why. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

APPLE DUMPLINGS

I want to share a delicious and EASY desert recipe with you. Each time I have made this every one has loved it and it doesn't take but about ten minutes to get it in the oven. This recipe makes 8 apple dumplings....but you can double it by using two apples and two cans of crescent rolls. You don't have to change any other ingredient.
1 Granny Smith Apple (peeled & cut into 8 slices)
1 can of Crescent Rolls
1 cup of sugar
1 stick of butter or margarine
1 cup of water
Unroll the Crescent rolls (you'll have 8 triangles). Take each triangle and place one of the apple slices at the larger end. Begin rolling it up. Put it in a pyrex dish with the side where you stopped rolling down. While rolling these put your 1 cup or water, 1 cup of sugar, and 1 stick of butter in a pan and bring to a boil. Pour over the Crescent rolled apples. Bake them at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. The juice thickens if you can let them set for a little while before eating them.....but if you can't it's ok!!!!
Here is a picture after I poured the water, sugar, & butter over them before cooking the dumplings (I used 2 apples & 2 cans of rolls). I DON'T KNOW WHY THIS PICTURE IS SIDEWAYS....and I don't know how to fix it!
Here you see the dumplings when I first took them from the oven. Put you a big scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of them and YUM YUM!!!

THE WINNER IS.....

I told you that I would draw the winner for my 100th post giveaway on Sunday, November 23rd. This morning before church I printed my entries and cut them apart. After lunch I had my husband draw the winner. He asked me when he was "stirring the pot" if I had any favorites. I told him that I have some who have entered that I visit each day, but it didn't matter because we would be completely fair in the drawing. When he opened the slip he had pulled he said, "It's..... This Country Girl ". I told him that was one that I do visit each day. I appreciate everyone entering. It was so much fun to check and see the new names. I found new blogging friends through this giveaway. I will be visiting all of you regularly. This week will be busy with family coming in for Thanksgiving but I will visit as often as possible. Have a wonderful week!!

MY 100th POST GIVEAWAY

It's hard to believe that this is my 100th post! I remember when I decided that I would join the world of blogging. I had been reading blogs for about a month and was already "addicted" when I told my daughter that I thought I wanted to have my own blog. I really thought I was too old but I'll tell you that I haven't looked back. I have gained SO MANY wonderful friends that I must 'visit' each day. So for my 100th post I want to give someone this large ceramic Christmas tray along with a Christmas pillow and 50 napkins. All you have to do to be eligible for my drawing is to leave me a comment saying that you'd like to be entered. If you post about my giveaway let me know and your name will be entered two times. Hurry....because this giveaway ends at midnight this Saturday, November 22nd. I will announce the winner on Sunday!

FIRST CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS

I have been saying for weeks that I just can't decorate for Christmas until after Thanksgiving. Then I said I would begin decorating upstairs before Thanksgiving but wouldn't put any Christmas where it could be seen (our bedroom is downstairs). You already know that I'm having LOTS of people here for Thanksgiving. Well....I did start upstairs. I always have a tree in one room for the granddaughters and one in the other bedroom for the grandsons. It's so much fun looking for ornaments just for little "princesses" and also for boys who love sports, cars, and fishing. I sure do wish you could really see how pretty the pink lights look on the tree for Breanna, Maddie, & Emma. Here's the best picture I could get.

The tree all lit in blue lights are things that Keith, Zack, and Griffin like. I really should change theirs from blue to an Alabama tree (I may do that next year). I can use red lights, but this year it's done. Both of these trees look so pretty with only the lights from the trees on. I should know by now to never say that you won't do something because........after I finished the kids trees upstairs I moved to the kitchen and put my tree up in there. I started making excuses by saying that we will eat our Thanksgiving dinner and have our Christmas decorations up because most of our family won't be together at Christmas so we are just celebrating both holidays. My husband told me to stop worrying because I could decorate for Christmas when I wanted....so I just might pull some more boxes out of the attic. Here's the tree in the kitchen.

See my orange slices that I dried and the gingerbread ornaments. I have plenty of those left to go on my BIG tree in the den.

The next post is my 100th (I think). Be watching!

CANDLERUG MATS

I received the most wonderful surprise today when these two candlerug mats were given to me. I had received an email from a friend telling me she was sending me a gift that she thought I would like. As you know I was out of town for several days last week and my daughter did not get them to me until today. I absolutely LOVE these. I was at an antique mall weeks ago and saw this friend there. I told her how I was changing my decorating to primitive. By the way....it's extremely hard to find things here that fit that style. I don't get to see her very much anymore and was blown away when I saw these two gifts. I LOVE THEM!!!!!