Sauerkraut and sausage balls

Every holiday my dad loves to make these sauerkraut sausage balls for the family. They are delicious and everybody loves them! There are a lot of work but he has it down to a science. This year the kids are older and they asked if they could help make them as well. It was so cute seen them all in together. They mix everything together and then they have to roll it into balls and then bread them and fry them.

Here is the adorable assembly line…

My Dad takes this process very seriously…


Such cuties…


Here is what they look like prior to breading them and frying them.


I forgot a final picture but when I get to my parents for Christmas I plan to eat them so I will get pictures then.

If they sound good and you are interested, comment below and I will get the recipe from them over Christmas.

A Little Amish Vacation?

Okay!!! Back and ready to move on! Yesterday I mailed back my company laptop, credit card and cell phone! I am officially no longer working for Bayer.

It was a nice run but everything has to come to an end and I was no willing to move so that is that.

I am applying for any six sigma jobs that are in companies I would feel proud to work for! Fingers crossed I find something quickly!

I went through what I would call a slight depression for a while there. I wasn’t depressed depressed but I was kind of sad. I knew it was coming and they definitely prepared us for it; but it hit me like a ton of bricks. I honestly thought I would retire at that company. And I didn’t realize how much value I put into who I worked for. I really loved that company and I gave my job my whole heart.

Anyway...I have my first interview tomorrow...wish me luck!

I have been spending as much time as possible with my family on the weekends! As you remember my sister‘s family, me and my parents have all been together often on since Covid hit in March. We were in Florida altogether when we first heard of Covid.

These are the people that I’ve been spending most of my time with. We are believers in wearing masks when we’re with other people and we are definitely trying to keep some distance between us and my parents so that they stay safe!

We went to Amish country over the weekend for a little getaway. We were wearing masks even though we were walking on the streets outside. We took them off for the pictures.

So much fun browsing and shopping and all of the Amish shops!

Of course we had to get ice cream! The ice cream was amazing at this little shop!

The girls wanted to pose on the giant chair!


We got home my parents house and could not wait to get into the hot tub! They only fill this thing in the winter and we look forward to it every year!

And Sunday was spent helping my parents rake leaves at the lake. They have a lot of leaves to rake and I needed the exercise! I love this picture with the lake and the flag!


I’m sorry I’ve been slightly MIA and I promise to change that. I’m now going to head off and catch up on all of you! Thanks for all of you who have reached out on Facebook and Instagram also. I am OK and I’m coming out of the funk slowly but surely. I think making a commitment to blog every day will help as well. So I plan to do this as much as possible.

I love the blogging community and all of you! Thank you for always being that ear when I need one to listen and thanks for making my life so much brighter and broader!!!

Hugs to you all!!!!

Wolfe's 2018 Annual Cookie Baking

After our two Thanksgivings, you can read about them here, my family has a tradition of spending the rest of that weekend baking cookies! And by cookies - I mean COOKIES!!!! We even have matching aprons we made for everyone! Be prepared for a VERY photo heavy post!!!!

Here is a play by play of Friday night, Saturday and Sunday...

It started out with my niece and I unwrapping the candies that will be used on the cookies. Usually all my nieces and nephews do this but a few of them went to the Penn State game and one niece did not feel well so it defaulted to me and Maddy!

This is my little sister and niece mixing some dough! The kids love to help so much! I think they like this as much as we all do!

My tw0 adorable nephews pushing the peanut butter cups into the baked dough.

My sister-in-law and myself for a selfie!

Mom counting the completed batches.

My oldest niece keeping the little ones occupied during their break by playing Polly pockets. The little kids love the baking but they have a short attention span and need frequent breaks - LOL!!

Here is the break room - HA!!! The boys watching football no doubt!!!

See them all - lots of testosterone in that room!

Two nieces working on the cutout cookies. We bake these and then let the kids decorate them every year.

Another break - I think this one is the Game of Life break.

Here is my darling niece Jess.  She recently graduated and has just started teaching at a school near my sisters house so she moved back home.  To her right is her new baby Max...she is a super cute cat mom and is great to her baby!

This is a close up of her baby Max...

Another round of the Game of Life anyone?!?!

My niece Jordan was hilarious this year! Not only did she participate this year with baking, playing with her younger cousins, etc. but everyday she came up with a new outfit for the day! This one was great! She is a cat mom too to a cute little fur ball names Penelope. This sweater actually lit up!!!!!! Awesome!!

This is a cute out that my sister-in-law found on Facebook! Sadly, it is a deer that has been shot. My brother-in-law hunts so it was perfect for him to take up to his deer camp. LOL! I was not in the spirit of love so we only made three - HA!

This is about halfway thorough the baking...

Cute picture of cousins working together to mic batter...

And my littler sister and nephew twisting candy canes...this is a horrible job and we give it to my sister every year - HA!

My niece was counting cookies in this photo-see her way back there with her paper. We add up the numbers we do every year...

My sister makes homemade applesauce and she wanted to defrost some for dinner Saturday night to eat with pizza. She put it outside to defrost. Then it started pouring down raining outside and my Mom put on all her raingear to go out and retrieve it...LOL! I just love this picture...my mother will kill me if she ever sees it on here! LOL!

This is my brother and sister making Santa's out of Nutter Butter's. He is an engineer and she thinks like one so these are the most precise and perfect cookies you will ever see...seriously! They turned out super cute!

Everyone chilling and taking breaks on electronics.

Same here....

This is the finished table!!!! What a productive weekend! We finished on Saturday night around dinner time. We did not set a family record this year as we dropped a few kinds that we have made before but we finished all of our holiday baking. Total cookie count was 2,133 cookies; 173 dozen; 16 varieties!!!

On Sunday the family separates the cookies and everyone heads home. We split them up in zip-locks and everyone takes home a ton of cookies they can then use for cookie trays at parties and gifts! Holiday baking is completed for everyone! Note: everyone in their Steelers gear for the game!!!!

 

If you live nearby and we are friends; be prepared for your tray of cookies!!!!

 

I love my family and I love all the time we spend together! Do not be deceived; we get on each others nerves but there is nothing better then family! I think we only about 20 minor spats throughout the weekend which is pretty good for all those people under one roof!!! There is no one that can push my buttons more then my siblings! LOL!!!!

 

I hope you all had an amazing holiday!!!!

 

Do you bake for the holidays? Do you have any family traditions you follow every year? Do you enjoy spending the holidays alone or in chaos?

 

 

What a Whirlwind Weekend of Sports

Hi everyone!! I hope you all had an awesome and fun-filled weekend! I was planning on a weekend hanging out at home since I had no plans but I decided to make an impromptu run to Columbus, Ohio to take in a few of my nieces and nephews games.  They are only young once and I figured my next few weekends are going to be busy with flooring projects so I better get a visit in while I can - LOL!!!

I arrived late in the afternoon but just in time for this guys soccer tournament...Such a cutie!!!!

Action shot....

  And another...he almost got wacked by the ball....UGH....

 I missed this sweet girl's soccer game but she stayed in her gear just for my picture...HA!!

 She even posed for an action shot...HA!

And this beautiful child has gynastics and dance but nothing on the weekends so I will have to get her pictures another time :-(  Instead, we opted for a photo shoot!

The kids put together a Haunted House...in all places, the bathroom!!! It was very small but very scary (as you can only imagine!) LOL!!! Half are laughing and half are acting scary....HA!!

Sunday morning was Hockey for this sweetie...

Action shot again...

And then flag football for the same kid! He is the one in the center pointing below..kids these days just go and go all day! HA!

 And action again...

The only child I missed from Columbus, Ohio is my oldest niece Kyleigh. She is becoming a young adult way too quickly. I missed her volleyball game as it was early Saturday and her dance is during the week so I will definitely get those photos at a later date!

The only thing I have of Kyleigh from this weekend is her and I created a video of us dancing to the Drake challenge and I will not dare post that on the internet...she was great but her Aunt Annie left something to be desired! HA HA!

Have a great start of the week guys - HUGS!

Ski show in the future?

This year three of my nieces and nephews learned to ski for the first time and they are so excited! The three older ones actually learned at the very end of last year so they only skied a few times and we pulled out the boat. It is so fun to watch them get better and better and more comfortable on the skis each week! Look at them go!!!!!!!!!

 That last picture is the youngest of my nieces and nephews, he is 6 and this past weekend was actually his first time getting up! His cousin gloated with him until it was time to pull him out and he got out! He was so excited he could hardly stand it!! We are all so proud of him!!!

The weekend was a little overcast and it rained off and on but that did not stop us from having a great weekend in the lake!! The kids also got in a lot of tubing time!

I love every weekend in the summer! There is nothing like family and togetherness!!! I am so very blessed and grateful for the life I am allowed to life and the people I was given for family!

Any lake life people out there? Do you prefer tubing or skiing? Spring, Summer or Fall?

I hope you have a blessed and exciting day!

Linking up with beautiful Biana for weekending!