Just and update for now

I am learning Portuguese. Yes, Portuguese. I am Portuguese by blood, so when choosing a language I'd like to learn, it only seemed fitting. I've heard a little here and there, learned perhaps a word or two, but never studied the language.

For the last two days I have been full on in Rosetta Stone trying to figure out this way of speaking. It's amazing how easy our language, English, is compared to others. Words change if there is more than one thing, or more than one person. It's very confusing. I am learning though, and I am finding it very interesting. I am really enjoying myself.

My kitchen is in full force, ready for fall. I've been baking at least once a day. Last night we tried baked mac&cheese (which did not turn out how I'd like), and today I have shredded buffalo chicken simmering away in my slow cooker for dinner, thanks to Mrs. DeMeo & her fabulous slow cooker recipe she sent me! I have baked cookies, whoopie pies, applesauce, and cake. Next week I am bound and determined to take on pumpkin pie fudge and (yum) peanut brittle. Jimmy is loving my new found skill, and keeps sifting through allrecipes to find more adventures for me to take on.

Jimmy is getting ready to compete in a Brigade competition that he will fly to Georgia for in early November, and he's been rucking around and studying like a crazy man to prepare. Then in January he'll be going to ALC, which means back to Georgia again, for 9 weeks. & in late March he is slotted to go to Ranger school, which he has been wanting to do for a long time. He is going to be a busy man for the next 6 months or so, which means things around the house are going to be crazy.

My (almost) brother-in-law is graduating from the Fire Academy in late November, and we'll be making a family trip down to Sacramento to take part in his graduation and celebration. We're awful proud of him and his accomplishments, and elated that my baby sister finally found a keeper. I have already bought Lukas a little tie to wear to his graduation and his fall/winter wardrobe is decked out with firefighter apparel in support of his Uncle Mike.

Halloween is fast approaching. I had hoped to spend it with family back in Sacramento, but that's not going to be able to happen with our schedule this year. The kids costumes came in the mail a few days ago, and I'm so excited to see them both in trick-or-treating action. Lexi is going to be Batgirl, and Lukas will be her little sidekick dressed as Robin. We tried Lexi's costume on when it got here, and oh-my-goodness, adorable. She's going to make the cutest Batgirl ever.

Tomorrow I am going to a local farm for their U-pick herb harvest. I hope I get to bring back a ton of fresh Rosemary to use for all my fall cooking. I am excited about having a 'me' day and dabbling in something I really enjoy, without a toddler attached to each leg. Then next week we'll be taking the kids to get their pumpkins & harvest some apples from the farm in Atascadero. I'm hoping to get some really great photo ops, so I'm already picking out the kids outfits. I'm thinking I may get the shot to put on our Christmas cards for this year.

My garden is in full bloom and I've been harvesting from it every day this week. God is good! Lexi and I picked a ton of carrots & tomatoes yesterday, and this morning we grabbed almost 1/2 a pound of string beans. I'm very excited for my fall garden to take off so I can learn to cook with all these new ingredients I'm growing right in the backyard.

Jimmy has been working to get his re-loading station up and running, and it's just about ready. By the new year we'll be making our own shells & then he really wont have an excuse not to take me shooting. My kids are napping, & my dinner is cooking, so, I am off to tidy up. I let both my kids run a muck this morning, while Jimmy and I enjoyed each others company over a cup of coffee in the backyard.

Did I mention I am loving this weather?