Weekend Blessings

The plan:  Liz and Brad are planning Ryan's birthday celebration to be a paint ball party back in our woods next month, so they wanted to come and get an idea of the area that the boys would be using.  While here, they would be doing some riding and we decided to cook at the pit.  So, we invited Noah to spend the night on Friday since he and Ryan get along pretty well.

On Friday, I picked up Ryan and Abby from their school at 3:30 in Rockwell.  Hannah had basket ball and could not come.  I drove back and picked up Noah after he arrived home from school around 4:30.  We drove home and the kids changed clothes.  Papaw Mark was going to the woods and the kids wanted to go with him.  So I began preparations for the chicken stew that would be part of the food for Saturday.  We also had hot dogs, cheddar brats, chips, s'mores fixings, and pumpkin pie planned.

When everyone came back from the woods, we ordered pizza, which I didn't dare eat since my stomach had been in a quandary for a couple of days!  Afterwards, we played games.  Everyone loves playing UNO Attack!

We watched movies and it ended up being midnight or after before we got in bed.

Saturday, November 9

Everyone slept in.  Abby was up pretty early, but that is nothing new.  Papaw was up around 8:30 so he could go to the shop to build a stand for a soup pot down at the fire pit area.  I got up around 9 and watched cartoons with Abby til around 10 when I made the boys get up and I fixed breakfast for everyone....bacon and eggs and toast and chocolate milk.  Mark came back from the shop just as we were finishing up.

Liz and Brad, Hannah and Emma (Hannah's friend) arrived around 1:30.  They had a surprise for the kids (Hannah finding out first since she didn't stay with us).  An early Christmas gift.....a brand-spanking new 4-wheeler!  So they all got to test drive it, even Abby!

So, the rest of the time was spent down in the woods around the fire pit and on the trails.

After they arrived, I gathered up all of the food and Liz and I drove down to the fire pit so I could get the chicken stew started.  Here's the recipe (from asouthernsoul.com):

To make the process quicker at the fire pit, I cooked the chicken at the house and shredded it and put it in the fridge overnight.  Then prior to coming to the pit, I mixed the flour and milk, salt and pepper in a bowl to add when I got to the pit.  I also had the chicken stock saved in a bowl and had the whole milk in another container. 

When I got to the fire pit, Mark had the coals ready to begin cooking the soup.  So I put the shredded chicken and chicken stock into the pot and covered it with a lid to bring it to a boil.  Then we took the pot off of the fire so I could add the milk and thickener and get it mixed with the chicken well.  Then we put the pot back over the fire, but up a little higher so the milk would not scorch.

About 4 o'clock, the soup was ready, so we all ate soup first and then hot dogs and s'mores!  We were too full for the pumpkin pie!  I have to say the chicken stew was really good and everyone liked it!  There were no leftovers!

Here are some other pictures taken during our time down at the pit.

Liz, Hannah and Emma

Brad, Noah, Ryan and Mark.  What a handsome group of guys!  

Mark kept the fire stoked!

Emma and Hannah

Both fire pits.

Here's the rack Mark made.  It worked great!

It was a beautiful day but pretty cold away from the fire!

Abby bundled up in Papaw Mark's coat.

Liz and Brad and family headed for home around 5:30, I guess.  Noah, Mark and I played cards during the evening and ate some of the pumpkin pie.  It was very good from Costco.

Noah spent the night again and we took him home after church tonight.

It was a quick weekend!  Thank You, LORD, for the blessing of family!