Last week was fun–we got to host three dinners in four days.
On Wednesday night my dear Manteo friend, Greta, and her Nashville friend, Colleen stopped by for dinner and an overnight stay on their way to the mountains. (Greta is on the left.)
Greta had just been in the NC mountains the week before as a chaplain with Samaritan’s Purse so she did an ocean-to-mountains trip twice in two weeks.
It was wonderful to have an evening of conversation and laughter with these two amazing women.
And what was on the menu? Soup!
we were joined for dinner by Steve’s cousin Kenny, and his wife Ginny. (Kenny’s dad is Uncle Lloyd, a man who Steve considered to be his second dad.) Steve’s brother, Jeff, also joined us
When Kenny and Ginny retired, they bought a motorhome and have been traveling the country for several years, seeing all sorts of wonderful sights. It’s always fun to hang out with people who know what it’s like to live on the road full-time.
Last week, their travels brought them to the Charlotte area, where they did a lot of behind-the-scenes tours at racing facilities.
It was such a treat to spend time reminiscing with someone Steve has known for almost his whole life. Ginny has been such a blessing to the family through the years, as well.
And what was on the menu? Soup.
we had a Smith/Hawley Clan gathering which, as you can imagine, produced plenty of smiles. You don’t hang out with Hawley people for very long without laughing a lot. (We missed Sarah and Gage who weren’t able to be there.)
Before we ate, we went outside to enjoy the pristine fall weather. I loved seeing the generations enjoying each other so much. (And I remembered Nathan playing basketball at that very hoop when he was a child.)
Steve had been needing to finish a small project in the closet in the basement stairwell. Grayson was beyond delighted to assist and was so proud to show everyone his handiwork.
while we were all together. (Eleven is right around the age Nathan and Meagan were when they first met.)
Before the cake and presents, we all went around the table to say something that we admired about Noah. Those are always precious moments when words of affirmation fill the room. And it was made even more memorable by the fact that we celebrated a grandchild’s birthday with both sets of grandparents present–a rare occurrence.
Noah helped me with the cooking as we seasoned the bread together before putting it into the oven.
And then it was time for Noni/Grandma to have their photos taken by the grandchild paparazzi.
While writing about all the photos, fun, and laughter, I don’t want to forget to tell you what was on the Smith/Hawley menu.
It was soup! (And chicken nuggets for the kids.)
and why were we serving it over and over?
Well, here’s the thing.
Steve made a double batch of Santa Fe soup (recipe at the end of the post) for when Greta and Colleen came, knowing it would make good leftovers for the two of us and could even be frozen for later meals.
As it turns out, there was so much soup, we just decided to serve it to Kenny and Ginny, as well. And then we realized if we added a couple more cans of beans and tomatoes, we would have more than enough to serve the Smith/Hawley clan on Saturday, which meant that no one would have to cook.
And after serving it three times, we’ve even got enough left to freeze for a meal for Steve and me down the road. Hooray for soup!
Steve is scheduled for a root canal tomorrow. He’d been having pain in a tooth and went to our family dentist hoping it would just be a minor fix; unfortunately, the dentist referred him to an endodontist. Turns out there isn’t going to be an easy fix–unless you call a root canal an easy fix! He’s got an infection that has worked its way from the tooth into his gum and has eaten away the bone. After the root canal, he’ll head back to his dentist to see if the crown can be saved. (Fingers crossed.)
This weekend, we are going out of town on a special trip; you’ll have to visit back here next Monday to read about it. While we are gone, Sarah and Gage are going to dog-sit these two sweet snugglers.
Steve and I were so pleased with how well Tinker and Belle did with all the new people in the house. They were held by a variety of people and did great. I especially loved seeing how excited the grandkids were to meet them. They took the dogs on several walks during their visit. I don’t know who enjoyed the walks more: the walkers or the walk-ees.
So to sum it all up, we had a week filled with old friends, new friends, family, laughter . . . and soup!
What about you?
Have you ever had a root canal? Is there anything that was helpful either going into it or recovering from it?
Sheri goes by Noni and I go by Grandma. If you have grandchildren, what is your name and how was it chosen?
If you were going to travel the United States for a month, what would be one or two places on your bucket list to visit?
Do you have a favorite soup you make for the colder months?
Here is the promised soup recipe.
We’ve been making this for about 15 years; the recipe came from Steve’s cousin, Betty Kay.
Steve is the one who made the soup and he added a few extra touches in addition to what is below. When he sautéed the meat (he also added onions), he sprinkled on some Monterey Steak seasoning, one of our favorite seasonings. He also added cayenne powder and red pepper flakes which could be omitted or adjusted according to taste.
We provided crispy tortilla strips, sour cream, shredded cheese, and chives for extra sprinkling fun.
I have had several Root canals as I have very soft teeth. I have had no trouble with any of them. I pray that Steve has a similar experience.
I am a new grandmother and my grandma name is Gram. I chose it because it was one syllable and felt like it would be easy to say. So far it is coming out Gee which is also very cute. I wouldn’t be sad if that stuck. My mother-in-law was Grandmother, and there were several variations of the name, but in the end all 10 of her Grandchildren called her grandmother. It just fit her.
I think it is so wonderful that your two families are such close friends. It makes it nice for the children when the families get along and can share time together so that no one ever feels left out.
Lisa,
Glad your root canals were trouble-free. Steve has done very well with his.
It’s so true what you said about some names just fitting certain people. I am definitely a grandma and not a grandmother and it’s obvious your mother-in-law perfectly suits her grandmother name since all the grands call her that.
Gee is fun and so is Gran. It will be interesting to see which one sticks!
Happy Birthday to Noah!
Steve’s soup sounds yummy. I made soup today in the crockpot for my hubby who is nursing a cold. I made chicken noodle soup and was going to add the noodles at the end when I got home from work. I decided to just cook them separately and let everyone add them as they like. I kept them separate to refrigerate so that the noodles don’t soak up all the broth. It took me 32 years to figure that one out;)
I would love to travel to Utah and see the national parks as well and then to the PNW and into Alaska.
Hope,
What a great idea to not put the noodles in right away! Those thirty-two years paid off! 🙂
Yes, Alaska is on my bucket list, too. And all those wonderful national parks. So many places; so little time!
I’ve had multiple root canals, and the recovery hasn’t been that bad. The pain the caused the need for the root canal was usually worse than any post-canal pain.
I would love to drive along the Southern Atlantic Coast. I’ve always wanted to go over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel and also drive the Florida Keys.
That soop sounds really yummy – I’ll have to give it a try soon. Our cool/cold weather favorite is chili – I love sprinkled with cheese and we also make Frito Pie and Chili Burgers with it.
Sounds like y’all had a wonderful week. I’m looking forward to hearing about your & Steve’s upcoming adventure!
Sue Ellen,
Steve and I have been over the Bay Bridge/Tunnel. Definitely a cool experience. That kind of engineering boggles my mind.
Frito pie sounds interesting! So many delicious cold-weather dishes.
Hello! I read often, but have never shared. I want to offer some reassurance and prayers that Steve will have as good experience as I have multiple times (4? 5?) and my husband (1) recently with root canals. For both of us, the root canal came as a relief – an end to the pain and the start of recovery and feeling better! I can clearly remember my first, as soon as I was numb, feeling that relief, and then while I was sore after, that soreness was an improvement from the infection and pain I had endured previous to the procedure. So my prayer for Steve is that he will experience something similarly, feel better following and soon be on the road to recovery. Thanks for all you share, Becky – blessings to you, Steve and your family.
Brenda,
Thanks for taking the time to comment; your participation makes this blog a better place!
Five root canals is a LOT! I was thankful to read your “spin” on the experience and see it as a relief instead of something to dread. Getting relief from the infection and pain is definitely something to go in the Win column! We appreciate your encouraging words and prayers.
Praying his root canal will go well! Never had that done.
Happy Birthday to Noah. Your 2 newest additions are so cute! I know they are loving being loved by many!
If I could pick 2 places it would probably be the Grand Canyon and Mt. Rushmore.
My favorite soup is chicken noodle or vegetable beef.
I am Pooh and my Hubby is Poppy. My family started Pooh about the time my nephews came along and they seemed to make it stick. So I am Pooh to my 4 grands and all of our family. Poppy started out as Pops but after our oldest grand watched the Trolls’ Movie it evolved to Poppy and has stuck 🙂
Your friends have a nice way to travel and see the country!!
Eswim,
We saw the Grand Canyon a couple of years ago. That first glimpse is beyond words. Hoping you can make it there before too much longer.
Pooh and Poppy. What fun names! And even more fun to read the stories behind them.
Well, no root canals for us, thank goodness! Fingers crossed that they can save that crown. Yikes! Good luck Steve!
I am called Gaga by my grandchildren. My first, Millie, ‘named’ me that because she could not say grandma and so it became gaga and I LOVE it!
We would love to travel to the national parks up in Utah and Idaho and then head up into Montana. I think that all of the wanderings that we want to do would take much longer than a month!
One of our favorite soups is called Green Chili Stew. It is done in the slow cooker and has pork, green chili, onions, potatoes and hominy in it and it warms you down to your toes. So, so yummy!!
LeeAnne,
I’m right there with you. All of my desired “wanderings” would take far longer than a month! I’ve never been to Montana; I’ve heard it’s beautiful.
I love “Gaga.” It’s funny how we imagine the names we might be called but then it turns out whatever the grands come up with is totally, perfectly fine. 🙂
Green Chili Stew is a new one to me. Sounds delish!
That was great! Or should I say soup-er? 😁
So glad the soup made your entertaining easier. I’ll have to try your recipe as I could use a few good soups in my meal line up.
Many kudos to Greta and her friend for helping in the mountains. I have great respect for all who have been there helping and for the brave residents themselves who are working so hard in the face of unimaginable loss.
Kenny and Ginny’s rig is beautiful! I love that they can travel and see the country together. And it’s so nice when the road leads them to family every now and then.
Love the grandma pics by the grands paparazzi–so cute!
Prayers for Steve’s dental dilemma. Ouch! Sounds like no fun.
I was wondering how Tinker and Belle would do with company. So happy to hear they did well and enjoyed walkies with the grands!
Love, Deb
Deb,
Ha. It was definitely a souper week!
I have to work at not being jealous of Kenny and Ginny and all of their meanderings. But then I remember that I got to do a lot of traveling too, back in the day. I just want to do a little more of it before I get too ancient!
Yes, we were thrilled at how well Tinker and Belle did with new people. They seemed to take it all in stride like it was no big deal. Quite the little troupers!
Hi,
I’ve actually had a couple of root canals – not fun at all, especially the first which was when I was only 8 or 9 years old! I remember that even with novocaine I felt it while the dentist was doing it (don’t tell Steve!).
Nancy and I go by Mia and GoGo to the grands. My mom had the coolest grandparents name though. She called her grandkids her munchkins, and they caught on and called her Munchkin. The name stuck, and she was Munchkin until the day she died!
Gordon,
Yes, your mom definitely had the coolest name. Doesn’t get much better than Munchkin and munchkins. Too funny!
Mia and GoGo are pretty neat, too! Love hearing all these different names.
We so enjoyed spending the evening with all of you including those cuties, Tinker and Belle! I always enjoy hearing about the adventures of Steve and Ken when they were growing up and the lessons they learned from their parents. I could feel them around us as we sat at the table laughing and enjoying that delicious soup! Hard to believe it has been 42 years since I sat in that room having Uncle Ken show me the best way to eat grits and sitting around the table laughing and enjoying our time with he and Aunt Vernie. Our visit to the Charlotte area has exceeded our expectations and I hope that we can come back more often. Love you guys!
Ginny,
I love the idea of feeling the parents around the table with us as we spent time together. Forty-two years is such a long time; glad you and Kenny made it back to the old Smith/Charlotte homeplace.
Your cake was a huge hit with the family on Saturday; we were just about to the point of fighting over it. 🙂 I meant to wish you a happy birthday (a little belatedly) on Friday but it completely slipped my mind. So, happy birthday! Hugs to you guys.