Weekend in Review

 Happy Monday, dear friends!!

My weekend started Tuesday after work haha! I took a day of vacation on Wednesday so I had 4 whole glorious days of a weekend before returning to work on Sunday morning. I LOVE my job, but every once in a while it is so nice to have a few days at home. 

First things first! I had to find my sister-in-law's recipe for sweet potato casserole. Rebecca died in February - I can't believe it has been almost a year. We weren't that close, but she had been our sister-in-law for over 25 years and we saw her several times a month. Anyway, our family loves her sweet potato casserole and I know why. I triple it and by the time you finish adding sugar to the potatoes and brown sugar to the topping . . .you are practically eating a bowl of sweet potato candy! I actually don't add quite as much and you can't tell.

We knew that a rainy cold front was headed our way so we took the golf cart out for a spin to look at Christmas lights.

It is a long-standing tradition for everyone to put white lights in the tree in front. It is lovely. You aren't required . . .I sometimes wish we would highly encourage a few folks haha!

On Wednesday, I baked . . .

. . .a German Chocolate cake. This is our daughter-in-law's favorite and her birthday was back at the first of November. I made it for Thanksgiving and she took it home afterwards.

This is Mark's mother's recipe and it is probably the best German Chocolate Cake I've ever eaten (thought I don't eat it anymore). I also made a pumpkin pie, mini pecan pies, green bean bundles, and sweet potato casserole.

Mark's sister has a huge space for entertaining so she hosted. Our son, Glenn, was carving the turkeys. Susie smoked two turkeys on her Pit Barrel Cooker.

My green bean bundles are in the first two pans. My sweet potatoe casserole is next - it is in a four quart glass pyrex but the only way we could figure out how to carry it was nestled inside a massive disposable pan.

The Pit Barrel Cooker smokes the turkey to perfection.

A quick selfie with our daughter-in-law and oldest granddaughter . . .

Lots of activity around the kitchen . . .

Our son did a great job carving the birds!

A quick picture with Susie, my sister-in-law . . .

Here are those mini pecan pies . . .

Susie made a pumpkin roll . . .

I was at our son's house bright and early on Friday morning - not for a Black Friday sale . . . but to head to the Christmas Tree Farm. It was so cold!! Wynn is wearing the Christmas Vacation sweat suit and hat. Glenn is on the left and our granddaughter is on the right - she did NOT have on enough clothes.

She was trying to get warm nestled in the trees.

Cute family - I am biased!

We rode the little train. It was a gorgeous day . . .but cold!

After the tree farm, I hit one store for their Black Friday sale - Home Depot. They have their smaller wreaths for under $6. I bought 16 plus one rope of garland. I thought I had 17 and I paid for 17 . . .but I evidently miscounted.

What I didn't post is pictures of me doing homework . . .and more homework . . .and more homework! I'm closing in on the end of another semester . . .this week and next! I also cleaned out a bathroom drawer and organized a bathroom cabinet.

Sunday was a fifth Sunday and I'm in charge of Fifth Sunday Fellowship. Hero Doughnuts delivered my 13 dozen doughnuts - their doughnuts are so beautiful and evidently delicious. We normally host Fifth Sunday Fellowship in our Fellowship Hall, but this month we set up by the coffee bar with the intention of encouraging all adults to join an adult Sunday School Class - at least for the season of Lent.

It was a madhouse - but, a good madhouse! There were approximately 375 people in the early traditional service and 150 or so in the Family Service so between folks grabbing a doughnut and a cup of coffee, it was busy! I intentionally didn't order enough doughnuts for everyone because these doughnuts are so expensive, plus everyone doesn't eat doughnuts.

Our sermon series is "Christmas Interrupted" and we have a screensaver to be downloaded on our phones - to remind us that Jesus was born into this world to interrupt our lives. Yesterday was about interrupting the need for "more" with realizing that Jesus is "enough." There was a challenge issued during the sermon and then someone in our class issued a challenge to all of us. Our class party is December 11 and Claudia (host) will have a tree set up. She challenged everyone to give to a charity between now and then and to make a simple paper star ornament and write the charity's name on the star. We will decorate the tree with the starts - no amount and the stars will be anonymous. We will just see where all the money goes.

I baked Pound Dropper's Gingerbread doughnuts two different times over the weekend. They are so good and are made with Monk Fruit sweetener rather than sugar.

Why is it so much more fun to decorate for a holiday, rather than pack away after a holiday. The fall and Thanksgiving decorations had to be packed away. We will start getting out Christmas decorations later this week.

While I was packing away decorations and while I was riding my stationary bike, I listened to the morning worship service. The internet is good for many things. When you are a Sunday employee, you worship when you can . . . I worshipped in my fuzzy Christmas pajama pants!

I came back downstairs and did more homework. I am making progress on two massive projects. While I did homework I did some meal prep. We watched one episode of Ozark and one episode of Better Call Saul and called it a night at 10:00 p.m.

I gave you way more info about our weekend than you wanted to read, didn't I? I keep my blog as sort of a journal for me so I know that sometimes I overshare!

What did you do this weekend?