September Notes

I just typed a great blog and went to publish and all my great thoughts vanished........ bummer. I don't know that I can recreate what I already created.

So in a nutshell, because I'm too annoyed to elaborate. Kate is great, school is good, my life in general is busy and happy.

Teaching kindegartners and 1st graders is chaos (sometimes organized). They don't understand human language, they are crazy! I'm trying to learn their ways of communication. And trying to get them to line up after recess......forget it! It's like herding cats! I learned real quick that chasing them is not a good idea. I must learn to outsmart them..........

I'm excited that fall is here. I pulled out a few fall decorations today and lit a fall candle. The next few months will be a lot of fun with all the holidays and season changes. I'm beginning to think about Christmas crafts and cookies! My grandma taught me how to crochet last weekend, so I'm thinking of what I could create with this new skill. So far I have crocheted a beautiful circle, which I will call a coaster, because it is doing a great job under my wine glass. :) I decided after drooling over all the adorable crocheted baby hats on Etsy that I needed to make some instead of buying. So maybe everyone will be getting a hat for Christmas. :)

My original post, that vanished, was much more interesting..... sorry.

Labor Day Family Outing

We went to Traverse City for a couple days on Labor Day weekend.


The sandy beach of Traverse City makes its way into Kate's hands, and a bit in the mouth too.

Kate's first putt putt. Going over the waterfall.

Trying to hold onto the golf ball

Cheering me on. I still lost.

Sleeping Bear Dunes.

The dune drop. 450 feet down to the lake. A steep down. Very. Steep. I hope I don't have to climb up this.

Peanut Butter Cookie

Here's a new peanut butter cookie recipe I tried yesterday. It has fabulous PB flavor. It's texture is more on the crispy side. Not too crispy. I think I like my PB cookies more on the soft chewy side, but this is a good variation. I got the recipe from one of my christmas cookie magazines, I think its a Better Homes and Gardens. I added a chocolate bottom because PB and Chocolate might be my favorite combination. I was also excited to be able to use my new little food processor on this recipe. I can't believe it took me so long to buy one! It's a small Kitchen aid one. I used it to crumble cake for my cupcake pops for the wedding. I'm discovering all sorts of uses for it now. The next investment is a double boiler. Amazingly I don't have one.

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup pb

1/2 cup granulate sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup peanuts, ground.

Heat oven to 350. Beat together butter and pb in a large missing bowl with an electric mixer on med. to high for 30 secs. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; beat till combined. Beat in egg and vanilla till combined. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour and ground peanuts with a wooden spoon.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls and slightly flatten between your hands before placing on a ungreased cookie sheet. Press a crisscross pattern into each ball with a fork. Bake 10-12 minutes or till lightly browned on bottoms. Let cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Transfer to wire racks and cool completely. Melt chocolate bark or chocolate melts in microwave at 30 second intervals stirring well between heatings. Using a small spreader, spread a layer of chocolate on the bottoms and then place onto wax paper to harden. I usually line a cookie sheet with wax paper and then pop it in the freezer to speed up the chocolate hardening process. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen.

A Few Captures

1st time with rice cereal. "This stuff is nasty Mom!"

Talking to Dad

Naked butt

Getting good at sitting.

Smiles

Smiled so much I got tired.

Great Grandma's 86th Birthday.

A Birth, Wedding, and Death

All in one week! Wow, the circle of life. I've been noticeably absent in the last few weeks. Since school has started for me, I've found less time to sit and put my thoughts into my blog. I have a lot of posts coming up.

A Birth:

Welcome Annabella Rose Hurd! My new niece was born to David and Jessica on August 27th. 6 lbs. 8 oz 19.5 inches long. So much hair!!

Big sister Alissa loves Annabella.

A Wedding:

Erin and Chris were married on August 29th at my mom's house in Dryden. The ceremony was outside in the front yard and the reception was in the backyard under a big white tent. It was beautiful. Lots of flowers, white lights, charm! The wedding had been consuming a large part of my brain capacity for the last month or so. I was glad to finally put things together and enjoy the day. I did a huge cookie and candy buffet. I'm excited that it was a huge hit. The day was a bit chilly and windy which is odd for August. Anne and I had made fan programs thinking we'd be sweating! Ha!

The happy couple!

Beautiful flower girls Gracyn, Alissa, and Abby.

The dessert buffet!

A Death:

My Uncle Mike passed on Wednesday (9/2). He had been bravely fighting cancer for the past several years. He was a big fan of my cookies. I will miss sharing them with him. Kate was able to bring a smile to his face when we visited him on Sunday and Monday night at the hospice center.

Kate meets Uncle Mike and Aunt Diane at 1 day old.