The Bright Eyed Brunette

Whew. I am so behind! I have been sick for a month. From Hand, Foot, and Mouth to the worst stomach virus, and then a respiratory infection. Thanks to all of those wonderful things, I haven't been able to do many fun things. Spending time with my family during my "well weeks" was just about all I could manage (and it was great)! So, without further ado, our Halloween festivities! Wesley loved the lights in the jack-o-lanterns Everyone was having such a good time. I am so thankful for all of the memories we are making together. All smiles at the Munger house! I had the pleasure of taking Wrenley to her Halloween party at school. Little Olaf, I mean Wesley :) Wrenley loved decorating cookies at our church's Fall Carnival. And our very own Jimmy Buffet! You may know him as Trey :) Another picture from Wrenley's party. She loves a selfie and I love her. Those were the highlights. I am still fighting exhaustion BUT all of my panels and bloodwork look pretty good. Maybe...

 Hey friends! I am finally back to blogging. We have had a busy week around here. Last Thursday we got the call that my grandmother, Grammy, was rapidly declining. I got ready and headed to the nursing home. She was awake and would occasionally nod to answer questions (sometimes). After a few hours we set a schedule as to who would stay with her around the clock because we knew it probably wouldn't be long and we didn't want her to be alone. By early afternoon everyone left and went home for a bit. Carl and I stayed with her, taking our turn first. The nurse came in and gave her some Ativan and she fell asleep. That was the last time I saw her awake. Carlie brought the kids by around 4 and then my uncle and sister came in to relieve us, we headed home to eat.  No more than we walked in the door and were about to cook, we got another call. Her breathing was becoming more labored. So Carl, Makena, and I headed back down. Trey came in his own truck. My parents also went back down...

 Hey guys, I guess I need to start a series of recipes titled "Recently Tried Tik Tok Recipes", because that seems to be where I am getting some pretty good ones lately. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Beef and Bowtie Pasta. Ingredients 1lb. ground beef 2 cups bowtie pasta 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 cup beef broth salt and pepper to taste Instructions Brown the ground beef.  In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until browned and no longer pink. Drain any excess grease. Season with salt and pepper. Cook the pasta.  While the beef is browning, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the bowtie pasta and cook according to the package directions until tender. Drain and set aside. Make the creamy sause. Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium-low. Add the cream of mushroom soup and beef broth to the cooked ground beef. Stir until everything is well combined and smooth. Combine everything. Add the cooked bowtie pasta to the skillet. Stir gently ...

 Okay, so I'm not a BookTok girlie. I don't have a cute little reading nook with perfectly organized bookshelves, and you probably won't find me filming dramatic reactions to plot twists. But do I love a good book? Absolutely. and do I have a TBR (to be read) list that's growing faster than I can keep up with? You better believe it! Every now and then, I find myself scrolling through book recommendations, reading reviews, and adding yet another title to my never-ending list. At this point, collecting books I want to read and actually reading them might as well be two separate hobbies.  So, I thought it would be fun to pretend I'm a BookTok influencer for a day and share a few books that have caught my attention lately. We've got a little romance, some suspense, a few questionable characters, and hopefully enough plot twists to keep things interesting. Get comfortable and let's talk books! And fair warning, your TBR list might be a little longer by the time w...

 I mentioned a few weeks ago that we were having family pictures taken by Carl's niece, Leslie. We just got them back, so I thought I would share them with you. Brother Bear was zonked out, so all eyes were on Miss Wren! Trey Landon Makena Faith Carlie and her family BeBe, Pappy, and the grandkids :) My girls My three babies 💓 My favorite picture of all💗 If you are in Arkansas and need a good photographer, I would recommend Leslie! Her handle on Instagram is @leslie_kerby_photography. Thanks, Les for the great pictures!

  Happy Monday, friends! Well, here we are again. Another Monday morning, another fresh week, and another cup of coffee that I'm hoping will magically give me the energy to accomplish all the things on my to-do list. Spoiler alert: It probably won't. But I'm going to drink it anyway. I thought we would start this week with a little old-fashioned chit-chat. Nothing too serious, nothing life changing. Just a little catching up on life lately, a few random thoughts, and whatever else happens to pop into my head. you know, the kind of conversation we'd have if you stopped by my house, pulled up a chair, and stayed a while. So grab your coffee (or whatever gets you going in the morning), and let's visit. First things first...it's October! This year is absolutely flying by. I love this time of year. The cozy evenings, the fall decorations, the soups and comfort foods, and the excuse to stay home in my pajamas a little longer. Now if Arkansas could just get the memo t...