SOCIAL MEDIA

Balloon Race Weekend 2026

October 19, 2026

 I always tell anyone that is coming to Natchez/Vidalia for the balloon races that you have to be around Friday, because Saturday is always a bust. If you can take off the entire week you'll see balloons the entire time, but for some reason as soon as the weekend begins... the wind gets dicey. 


This weekend was no different. Though, I can't conplin about it since wind brought in some cool weather. Friday we got up bright and early to start balloon chasing at 7am, that was quickly changed since takeoff was cancelled. We headed to PJ's Coffee and got breakfast at The Donut Shop. By that time the text alert let us know that pilots were teathering all over town. 


This is where the chase in the weekend beings, you just have to wander around until you see something. 




The benefit to Natchez being on the bluff is you can see what's happening in Vidalia pretty well as you cross over the bridge. We spotted two balloons by the riverfront and headed there. Ski Lift was letting a few people teather at a time so we hopped in line. 




Dicey wind got in the way and as the girls ahead of us were preparing to get in the balloon I heard the pilot say that they would have to take the balloon down. I mentally had to forfeit my original idea and asked someone on the crew if we could toss Elliot into the basket with the girls ahead of us. 




He got in just barely in time and can say that he's teathered in a hot air balloon now. 




Harrison didn't appear until the balloon was coming down, he wasn't about to risk being too close lol. 




With the rest of the morning chase shot, we took advange of the time and went to the new park in Vidalia. It is just as good as the one we went to at the Hoover Met, and I am so pumped to have this to play at when we come to visit. 






Notice the clothing change? The weather was changing that quick. Started cool, got hot, lots of wind, then freezing during the fireworks. 





For lunch we headed downtown, these people owe me Pig Out Inn. Our lunch spot was a bit of a bust. Not bad, but they weren't prepared and the food was okay. 




This might be the end of pumpkin patch photos. They weren't having it and when I made a joke about their Dad to get a laugh and offended everyone. How dare I speak of their father that way! 




Where's the photo of Harry's 1st pumpkin patch? We need a side by side of this sad face on a pallet full of pumpkins. 



Same not happy with his mother face as it was a decade ago. 




A visit to my mother is never complete without spending some money at Dixon Books. 




Last, and hopefully this pumpkin doesn't count against us... Elliot had a storybook pumpkin project. I kept suggesting we do the cat from Dogman, and he insisted on a Bengals helmet. I started the helmet while they were at school, picked them up, and he had finally agreed to Dogman. Well buddy, you already have tiger stripes on a pumpkin. 


More encyclopedia pumpkin than storybook.


Also, looks like a football player wearing a covid mask instead of a chin strap.



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10 Blog Recipes That We Still Make

October 15, 2026

After a solid 18 years of posting recipes to this blog, let's revisit a few that we actually make frequently. It's funny looking back at a recipe archive, it shows very much what was popular at the time, or whatever taste or style of eating I was on. I get in a flavor rut and will make everything Mexican for a week, or go full Cajun. I use to be a caserole queen, but man are those the way to go back in the days of graduate school living. 


In reality, this is the first year in our marriage (minus a three year school break) that no one (cough cough Jeremy) is in graduate school. 


Don't judge the old photos, things have come a long way over the years. It's also very apparent that the lighting was the best at our Palmland house, of all the places we've lived. I was in a good DSLR groove and could edit better. 

 


1. Ham and Cheese Breakfast Rolls

This are a long time family recipe. I think we first had them when they were being passed around at my cousin's wedding (like 30ish years ago) and we've made them ever since. They've stood the test of time and we love them. The only issue is we use to buy these French rolls and you can't find them anymore. 



2. Chocoalte Cobbler

Prepare yourself, I'm about to say what a favorite something is for every single paragraph. What I love about this recipe is that you already have everything on hand (if you keep a stocked pantry). It's great for when you need a dessert and want something low effort and maximum comfort. 



3. Old Fashion Chocolate Pie 

This recipe is my Great Granny Cater's Chocolate Pie recipe. I wish I had the original on hand, I'm pretty certain it's at my mother's house somewhere. The original recipe called for all those old fashion measurements, coffee cup of this, spoon full of that. I was handed this recipe long before Google searching was common or AI just populated whatever you needed an answer to. I made this pie several times before I perfected it. 


The blog recipe is the original recipe, at home nowadays I make this with a more stable meringue so it doesn't fall as quickly as an old fashioned one. 


4. Chicken Spaghetti

I won't be sharing the photo from this blog post, the reicipe was posted on New Year's Eve 2008. The photo quality is obvious early 2000's. 


This is another recipe that I grew up with and probably tweeked a touch when I first married Jeremy. It's very North Louisiana, or Southern. I don't find that I've seen many people making it this far south though. 




5. Tomato Soup

I make this soup every time we have any sort of slider for lunch after church. It's Elliot's favorite and taste just like Le Madeline's. This comes together so fast, and I grow basil every year just to put it in the freezer to make this soup. 


6. New Orleans Style Black Ham

I've never been a huge fan of ham, but after I learned about this glaze it changed my opinion. If I've made a ham in the last decade, it's been this recipe. 


7. Bacon Cheddar Ranch Dip

My mother say this recipe in a magazine in the 90's, we've eaten it every single holiday since them. Favorite dip, no notes. I love it with Ruffles, but they break easy... so I also use bite size tortilla chips. 



8. Pepper Jelly Cheese Dip

Not only is this a favorite of ours, it's one of my most popular recipes on Pinterest. I got this recipe nearly 20 years ago at a bible study. Haven't looked back since. It's incredible with a Ritz or any other buttery cracker. 


9. Hashbrown Casserole

I have no idea where this recipe came from, but we've been making it for well over 20 years. Really brown you veggies well in butter and make a Ritz cracker topping, it's worth the time. 


10. Perfect Every Time Yeast Rolls

This was an idea I originally saw on Pioneer Woman and we've made rolls this way since then. My favorite way is to do this in a cast iron skillet. When we were first married I'd make them in the cast iron every Sunday with lunch. 

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Five Things on Friday

October 9, 2026

It's Friday! Plus we (I) have fall break next week... then it's balloon festival in Natchez. Here's a few things from this week. 


These Fudge Bars. I found the recipe on Instagram and they turned out good. My brown sugar was kind of clumping, and honestly the clumps of brown sugar in the oatmeal cookie mixture were divine. The fudge topping is so so so good. I was basically racing Elliot to eat any. Between the two of us we finished the pan in less than a week. I'll share the recipe below, but I won't save it to my recipes since it isn't mine. It's from @cookingwithkira.ia on IG. 




Makes a 9x13
Ingredients: 
3/4 c butter
1 3/4 c flour
1 1/2 c oatmeal
1 c dark brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 can sweetened condensed milk
12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp butter

Directions:
1. Combine butter, flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, vanilla, and bakig soda. Mix with a fork until crumbly. 
2. Reserve 1 cup of the mixture and set it aside. 
3. Press the remaining mixture into a greased 9x13 pan. 
4. In a small saucepan, combine condensed milk, 2 tbsp butter, and chocoalte chips. Stir until completely melted. 
5. Spread chocoalte mixture over the oat mix in the pan. 
6. Sprinkle over reserved oat mixture, clumping some of it in your hands as you go to make bigger brumbles. Press it in. 
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. 




School and flu season is upon us people, if you aren't using nasal iodine you need to get on it. When I'm consistent I find I don't catch what is going around. When I get lazy and tell myself I won't catch the colds... I have caught it all by the end of the week. 


I just use one spray in each nostril in the evening when I'm done being around crowds. 



It's homecoming week at the kid's school, so Thursday during the parade the staff hands out water. Thank goodness this year someone had the idea to let us ride in side by sides! Our school doesn't have a band or any walkers for the parade, so last year's police escost ran through the parade at 30 miles an hour. 

We started running instead of walking, got way behind, attempted to jump onto another float, and eventually gave up any walking and rode a float all the way back. 




So this year was riding, thank goodness, and we only half needed it. The police escort actually went at parade speed. Then we got really lucky and ran into another school's parade and that slowed us down even more. Add that on top of the nice weather, and you couldn't ask for better.




Tis rolling season. Or as Elliot calls it, paper-toweling. 




Now that Harrison is getting older we have been needing a way for them to contact us if we let him stay at home for a few minutes while we run errands. Both of us are totally against devices and phones, hashtag 90's childhood. The kids only have a gaming system that isn't on the internet and they can only play games that Jeremy buys or allows the rating. 


All that to say we landed on a Tin Can landline. I'm honestly in love. You can even set who is allowed to call and who they are allowed to call. It doesn't hurt that it is also cheaper per month than any other phone out there. Trust me, my first thought was landline again, but that is nuts what they want per month. 




Do youself a favor and get an affagato from Jet Coffee in Lafayette. We went one afternoon, so I didn't want caffeine, but the girl working the window made me so happy when she said they could do it as decaf. It's also Elliot approved, but that child has been trying to drink coffee since he was a baby. 

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What's for Dinner?

October 7, 2026

I need inspiration and have got to get back into the groove of meal planning. 


I haven't quit meal planning, it's just that the meals I've been plannig have been utter flops. Instrgram is such a massive flop and disappointment that as a family, they've banned me from using recipes from there. I feel like my best bet is to go back to the days of newborn Elliot cooking. I grilled something and had two sides. Nothing complicated. Or maybe even further back to when I ate mainly Paleo, becuase people are claiming everyone loves stuff that they post... and it's generally underwhelming. 



Thursday | Grilled Chicken, Alabama White BBQ Sauce, Grilled Zucchini, Peppers, Onions, and Potatoes

Friday |  Eating Out

Saturday |  Lasagna (I need to finally share this recipe) 

Sunday |  Leftovers

Monday | Loaded Breakfast Skillet with Biscuits (either these Cinnamon Crunch Pumpkin Biscuits or these)

Tuesday | Meatloaf, Wedge Salad with Cattleman's dressing, Roasted Potatoes


Lunch for the Week | Chicken Rice Bag Trend - Rotisserie Chiken shredded, ready cook rice, spring onion, cilantro, soy sauce, siracha, and sesame oil - top with chili crisp 
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Things That Have Changed Since I Last Really Blogged

October 5, 2026

 It's been a bit, and I really miss writing. 


This has long been an outlet. I wrote back in the days of Xanga, and before that I had a stack of speckle books. I find that if I get the thougths out of my head, I'm more clear... I don't know. I miss documenting. 


It probably doesn't help that the technology has gotten ahead of me and for the first time in my life I don't really have a working camera. My DSLR "works" but whatever has gone on with SD cards is beyond me. Suddenly the wifi card I have is useless and doesn't work with any apps. But what have we moved to? No one has informed me and at 40 I feel at times like the world has moved on. I'm officially behind. 


I'm still teaching, year 18 is in the works. That also means we have been married 17 years. That means this blog started 18 years ago this month. 


With all this number talk, I don't even know what to say about fitness and health stuff. The further I get into life, the less time I have. I can barely find time to workout these days, before work does not work at all. After work I'm dead tired and have a to-do list out of the window. It's immediately kids homework, any sort of picking up around the house, and then dinner, bathe everyone, then bed. During the summer I was doing great with walking on my walking pad, but I've lost my zeal of tracking macros or anything. Some would say, who cares, but in a family where gaining weight could be classified as a Olympic Sport - I only have so much wiggle room. So, both of those things need to be worked out. 


This isn't sounding quite as old blog funny Emily. It's more of the years where I feel like I've been sucked into a black hole again. Maybe I have, the currect stress is weighing heavy. At the same time, getting it off my chest might actually lighten me up. It's got to be better than dragging all this around in my head all day. 


On a more positive note. Here's a few things we've been up to in photos. 




Nothing special here, the lighting was just really good at Whataburger. 




Elliot has finally hit the loving to read age. He dug into his brother's Dog Man books at the start of school. 



I can't remember why I took the picture, but Harry was doing homework. I was probably laughing at him wrapped in a blanket while he did it. You'd think we keep the house freezing the way the kids act. In fact, I wish I could bribe Jeremy to let me run it even cooler. 




This photo is really the epitome of everything I've been feeling taken down by. For the first time in all the years of the kids in school, I didn't take a first day of school photo. This was two weeks into school after a church business meeting by the preschool sign. Elliot didn't want to take it and Harrison was trying to force him to smile. 



The most exciting thing of the last few months was that Harry professed his faith in Christ and Jeremy got to baptize him. What a blessing, I just pray that he keeps a strong faith and grows in his walk his entire life. He makes me laugh, he's such the mini version of Jeremy with his memory recall. He can call back bible facts way better than I could at his age. It's just so special that it's gone beyond knowledge and you could see that he really believed with is heart. 
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Spring Break

April 17, 2026

Spring break this year was so welcome, and that fact that we stayed home made it feel even longer. Since the weather was great (Mardi Gras break did not work out for us weather wise), we had a quick local camping trip. 




If you've ever thought that camping meant less skincare routine, I'm here to tell you it absolutely does not. It only means remember to put on sunscreen as soon as you wake up. 


Now that the boys are bigger, it is much easier to stay in the bathhouse longer to get such things done. 




Dill wasn't having it this particular night. He never sleeps on a bed and was insistent. This was when I was trying to coax him into his kennel and he was ignoring me and wanting to get on my side of the air mattress. 


He ended up having a good reason. Around 10:30pm I heard what could only be described as a bear walked past the tent. I've never, in a decade of camping with the kids, heard an animal like this. I know my racoons and deer. The palmettos add another layer of animal activity since they're so loud. But whatever came through them brushed the side of the tent, sending Honey into a tizzy of buffing. It stood above my head while I was laying on the air mattress and had a very slow graceful walking sound. But it sounded huge compared to the usual racoon that is nosing arond looking for snacks. 




Harrison didn't want to play football with Elliot, and the dogs were fussing that they couldn't be off leash, so I convinced Harrison to read the Boxcar Children to them. 




This is everyone playing in the sand around the tent pad before we realized we didn't pack a single towel for this trip. Baths ended up being the kids running in the splash pad. 




Another holiday task was installing a water drip irrigation to the front flower beds. I just cannot for the life of me bring myself to sit out there watering, plus the heat here just sucks the water right out of everything. After our super dry March... and what is continuing to be a fairly dry April, this had to happen. The only issue I ran into was on the very last plant I was moving rocks and found myself a baby snake. 


This is where I will say that living in Alabama for a short stint was just enough flooding therapy in and of itself that I still don't want to touch them... I still scream... but my freakout is way less. I haven't been told in years that I can't shoot a gun in the house, so clearly I'm toughing up. (Kidding, but Jeremy did tell me to not shoot at a snake if I ever saw one indoors.) 




Last but not least, we got our hands on some shrimp and had a little outside boil for the three of us that eat it. We really need to nail down getting the seasoning perfect, so if you have a proven method let me know. 



 

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