Brittany's Ring Day

A huge tradition at Texas A&M is Ring Day.  Once a student has enough credits to be considered a senior they are eligible to purchase a school ring.  Rings are distributed on a special day.  Brittany got her ring this past November on the 19th.  I've never seen so many students and families gathered in one spot for this occasion.  It was quite remarkable.  We had a wonderful time and it was just one step closer to her graduatiuon this December.  



Geaux Tigers and Gig 'em!

With Meg at LSU I think I'm officially now a tiger fan and of course continue to be a die hard Aggie fan as well!  Both teams are playing tonight, one on prime time television and one not, but I'll be cheering for both.  The girls came home for the weekend so it's been nice to have the nest filled again, even if just for the weekend!  We'll all be together for a bit and that's all that matters.  Geaux Tigers and Gig 'em! 

Houston Farmers Market, Pickles, and Spicy Green Beans

Last Saturday we headed to a farmer's market in Houston.  It was Brit's last weekend before heading back for her last semester of college.  Her dad's idea and it sounded fun so we all, including Milo, piled into the Tahoe and headed south.  Little did I know that later that day we would be making spicy pickles and green beans, but I'll get to that after a quick photo tour of our morning.  To get to the farmer's market you must first walk through this little produce outlet which is like a little grocery store with prices that can't be beat.  I wish I could go every weekend! 

Brit found some cherry tomatoes to buy.

And stopped to pose for a picture.  Milo wanted no part of it!

Once through the store we reached the farmer's market.

The vendors take a lot of pride in making their stands appealing to the eye. 

 Some even have samples for you to taste before purchasing.

Richard found plenty of stuff to buy.

Including a pepper plant that now resides on our back porch. 

After an hour or so of shopping we headed back to the store with pepper plant, fruit and veggies in hand .

 It was then our way out, that we noticed these small cucumbers and sparked the idea of making pickles.  So we bought a couple of pounds and headed home with no real clue how in the world to make them. 

After a call to his mom and one more stop at HEB for pickling salt, a set of mason jars and fresh dill we arrived home ready to get started.  The recipe we found was from my Better Home's Cookbook.  Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

1/4 pound 4 inch pickling cucumbers (5-6)

4-6 heads fresh dill

2 cloves of garlic, halved

1 3/4 cups water

3/4 cup cider vinegar

1 Tbsp. pickling salt

Directions:

Rinse cucumbers.  Prepare pickling bottles.  Pack cucumbers loosely into a hot, sterilized quart jar leaving 1/2 inch headspace.  Add dill and 2 cloves of garlic halved (We also added a couple dried chili peppers that we purchased at the farmer's market to make it spicy). Make a brine by combining water, vinegar and salt.  Bring to boiling.  Pour hot brine over cucumbers, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.  Adjust lid.  Process in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes.  Let stand 1 week before opening. 

I was a little unsure about the processing of the pickles so I found a website, Pick Your Own, that gave step by step directions including pictures for visual learners like me.  We decided to pickle some green beans, great in a Bloody Mary.  So here they are in their jars waiting for the big day when we open them and see if they are as good as they look!   

                   

   

Happy Birthday Britty!

It seems like a lifetime ago that you were born; however, I can remember it as if it were yesterday.

Twenty two years ago today you entered our lives and changed us forever.  Two college kids could never guess how much until the day you arrived. 

Your presence created a family, gave us reason to strive to be our best and opened our hearts to a love only a parent can explain.

You were the best little girl parents could ask for, inquisitive and bright with a compassionate heart full of love. 

I can still remember how adorable you were reading Eric Carle's "The Hungry Caterpillar" at the age of three with that Boston accent we could never account for.  I was sure you were a genius...still think so today! 

 

Then, when Megan was born you became the best big sister to your little "Ducky" and a great bond developed that I have treasured watching grow over the years.  

You went from a little girl,

to a teenager ,

to a twenty-something in a flash!

You have grown into a caring, beautiful woman whose desire to make a difference in this crazy world we live in makes us so very proud. We are so lucky to be your parents and have someone so special in our lives.  No matter what you choose to do in the years ahead, we will be there to support you and cheer you on every step of the way.  We love you so much...Happy Birthday Britty. 

Goodbye Again

Brit is back in College Station.  Meg rode along with her yesterday while my mom and I followed.   Two cars full of stuff she insisted she needed at her apartment.  The one good thing about driving to College Station is that it's only about an hour and a half from where we live.  After unloading the cars and helping her organize a few things we all went to dinner and then it was time to say goodbye.   Goodbye is so hard, which I'm sure is why my husband opted to stay home with our senior dog Maddie.  It was more bittersweet than usual since she will be staying in College Station until she graduates next December.  I will miss her... 

So Brit leaving means Milo is gone as well.  He became my lap dog over the holidays.  This is him sitting on my lap while I watched the movie "Julie and Julia" on a chilly, December morning before anyone else was up.  We were early morning buddies over the holidays.  I'll miss him too but I know how much he keeps Brit company when she's away from home.

She's only been gone a day and I already find myself reminiscing about the time she was here with all of us. It's hard to believe that Meg will be going off to college next fall as well. Where did the time go? At least we have memories and pictures to capture these precious moments in time. The girls have always been close but I've had the joy of watching them go from "just sisters" to truly best friends. Their time together this past month has been really special.

One night during the Christmas holiday they stayed up late and made gingerbread cookies together. How sweet is that? We were already asleep but woke to a bunch of these adorable guys and surprisingly no mess in the kitchen! Brit's boyfriend snapped the picture above of them in the middle of the gingerbread making. Thanks Adam!

Britty Makes Dinner ~ Thanksgiving 2009

Milo watches and waits for scraps as his mommy gets busy making soup.


Seven Can Tortilla Soup is a great way to use up leftover turkey.


Here's the happy chef at work. She gets her joy for cooking from her dad.


Soup simmering on the stove, what a yummy sight!


She even made a pumpkin pie! Can't wait for her to return home for Christmas.