There's a fire in the kitchen.

Well I started a fire in the fireplace this morning! I got tired of being cold. We haven't checked out the furnace yet, so we can't turn it on. I hate the thought of having to have it running already. The fireplace keeps the kitchen warm and makes it all homey! I sat there and started reading the book Trace left for Sarah. I read five chapters before I decided I'd better get something else done. I'm enjoying the book...Thanks Trace. I forget the name of the book....it's about a girl that left home to go to art school and marries an older man that came into the diner where she was working. I'm anxious to get back to it.

I sure enjoyed the pictures you girls put on face book! All my precious grand babies are growing up so fast. Daphne looked older in her school pictures and her first football game. I enjoyed seeing her at soccer practice. Such a sweetheart!

We got to see Charley and Maura this week end. They came up for Tom's birthday party. They left this morning to go to Lafayette and then on home.

Dad and I split wood this afternoon. We got quite a bit done, will do some more tomorrow. The hydraulic splitter sure makes it easy. I am thankful for all the wood Marc gave us. We actually started in the back with some wood we had from a couple years ago. It's a little wet, but will dry quickly once we get it split and stacked.

I made a big pot of chili Friday night. We have been eating on it all week end. It's pretty good! I also baked a batch of cookies, but I've decided it was almost too much trouble. The chocolate chips were almost $3 dollars and I had to buy crisco because I didn't have any...so right there they cost $5. They weren't that good either. I can't seem to make them like I used to. It seems cookies I make lately are always flat and spread out. They used to be fat and bumpy with the chips....I use the same recipe...I can't figure it out. I know I get inpatient anymore and usually burn the last batch....thinking I'm done before I really am. You can be sure they taste alright...at least we ate them. I like the dough and the warm cookies. Once they cool off - I can leave them. Silly huh?

I am thankful for the fireplace! Thankful for warm flannel sheets. Thankful for the splitter - we sure wouldn't have the strength to split wood the old fashion way. Thankful for all my kids!