A Bridal Shower, A Wedding and Surgery...

Headed to pick out a wedding dress!  Excited!

I LOVED this dress...wasn't a wedding one but still...so pretty.  I asked if she'd try it on for me...

Her mom, our daughter, Crystal...

Brickhouse Bridal, in The Woodlands, Texas

Her Bridal Shower...

Sami's half sisters, Ruby and Ema...

Everetts (fiancee) Mom, Joycelyn

Then it was Thanksgiving...

Then, time for the Wedding!  I made the cake with my hubby, Larry's help!  It was too heavy for me to lift...

Our William (In the Air Force in Arizona) couldn't attend so we Face Timed so he could be a part of it!  He cried...That was Hard to watch... :o(

Everett and his groomsmen

First Dance

Mr & Mrs Everett Parker

Where did the time go from this to....

to, This?

Okay then!! Hahahaa...and that isn't half of the photos!  I know you're blurry eyed by now but these are the main ones that tell the story.  It was a beautiful wedding almost ALL planned out by Samantha.  There was only ONE bad moment...Sam's biological father, ROBERT, danced the Father/Daughter dance, OK? Are With me?   Samantha's mom, my daughter Crystal, remarried about five years after their divorce,  to Tim...great guy, husband to my daughter, Crystal!  Love him...Anyway...The mother of Robert (exhusbandbiologicalfather of Samthebride), BRENDA,  went over to Everett (Sams new husband),  and demanded to know WHY he ALLOWED Samantha, his new wife, to dance a Father/Daughter dance with TIM...Stepfather...The man that raised her...was there for her...I am so angry at that old useless woman...So hurtful!
Oh well...I'm trying to stay out of it...  Sami can deal with her through her father Robert (bioDad).

We are SO tired!  Can't catch a break...Larry's 94 yr old father is having sort of elective surgery on an aneurysm at the top part of his  heart. I say elective because it's dangerous.  He was told how dangerous but chooses to have it anyway.  He Could live another five years without it or leave this earth tonight if it burst.  No way to tell..so...January 7th...We have to have it done in Houston, Tx.  The surgeon said he was his oldest patient...Long surgery...long recovery...IF he makes it without stroking out on the table or ending up a vegetable.  We wondered if this was suicide by surgeon (lost his wife last year, married 70yrs).  SO...please send prayer...he's going to really need it.  We had the "talk" and he says it doesn't matter...he's had a great life and is ready to go IF all goes badly.   

To top things off, Larry's down with the flu...a week now...it's just stress city around here.
Oh well, this too shall pass...

Well, guess I'll close for now.  Sorry for being so late but it's been...joyful and interesting.
Later...

Just been a bit busy...

Everett and Samantha...getting married on December 7th, 2019

Made our granddaughter a housewarming cake...yes, they bought a house, ten acres, in the country.

Turned out pretty well...

Buttt....I'll NEVER use Ermine frosting again unless it's to be eaten fairly soon!  It was a hot day...and it sat for several hours in a warm kitchen...It started to creep off the cake... :O()..I'm Learning!!

The reason for all this baking is because Samantha asked me to make her wedding cake...!!  I seriously need practice! I've never made one before...

 

I use the plastic bins I get fruit in, to gift cupcakes and such.  Handy!

The cupcake recipe turned out great!

Well, that's about it for now.  Holidays are starting to roll around again!  As you longtimers with me know, Christmas is my favorite.  Not long now...
The cold weather finally rolled in here last night.  It dropped from 92 yesterday to 47 this morning.  Oh well, I love the rain that came with it...dark and rainy...my kinda day!  
Y'all stay warm or cool where ever you are!!!
PS- Happy Thanksgiving to all you Canadians!

Canning Jam and Making Cookies and Tricks...

Had a hankering for homemade jam!  That stuff you buy in the market is to darn sweet!  So, I bought some strawberries and raspberries and made my own...It turned out great.  With the recipe I used, I cut the sugar back from seven cups to four cups of sugar.  Boy, what a difference it made!  Good stuff...

Also made kosher dills...Larry wanted me to add red chili peppers to them as an experiment...I did...They are really good but a bit too spicy for me even though, he loves them.  Glad I didn't add them to all the jars!

 

Made bread and butter pickles too...yummy with almost anything... especially my favorite, fried chicken!

And also made blackberry and some cherry. 

Made cookies...

Also made my own Buttermilk ranch dressing.  Much better than store bought!

And I ran out of cookie cooling rack space so I created my own!  Cheesy looking but it works.

Well, it's been a few weeks since my last post.  Been a little busy canning and baking...and generally staying busy. 
See the last photo of the crumpled up parchment paper?  Well it's a trick I learned to make your paper lay right where you want it!
Crumple it up, wet it a bit, squeeze out any excess water then open it back up and lay it out on your baking sheet or pan!  Works great and doesn't affect the food.
Well, I've bored you enough today.  Hope you are enjoying August...it's high heat and dry here in central Texas.  We need rain.
Oh well...it's August.  
Coming to check on you!  Enjoy your day...

Give Us Strength...

Dear God in Heaven!  Give us all the strength to find our way through all the horror happening in our country.  Please pray for those in El Paso, Texas and those in Dayton, Ohio...this we pray in your Name...Amen.♥️