Can life actually get any busier (or better)? Soup recipe...

I I keep getting busier...you would think that as your children grow up and move away that you would have more time.   I am here to testify that it is no so. If anything, you become more and more busy.   Of course, I do not have to do many of the tasks that I used to have to do. I rarely pick up toys anymore, but now I edit college papers, help fill out FASA forms, help them with resumes, towing a car, buying something, and so on.   I do not change diapers anymore, but I still buy diapers (for my mom), clean and empty her potty, help her bath, comb her hair, help get her ready for church, and do her laundry.   Maria and Alexander are doing well. Alexander is now over 5 pounds...and I for one, feel so much better now that he weighs more. he was just so little and it scared me that he would get sick or something.   We let Elizabeth go and stay at Maria's to help out as she is such a good helper. Maria and Travis did not want her to leave, but Fito and I missed her so much and she helps me a lot, too.   While she was gone the laundry stacked up...she is a GOOD worker.   The homeschooling is going well and is less time consuming than I originally thought, which is good, as the house is taking all my extra time right now.   We have finally started on the repair and are putting stucco on all the damaged siding. It is coming out absolutely beautiful. but every day, it seems, I have to order something, or find something, or go pick up something. Playing contractor is hard work!   I have been cooking a lot. I go in spurts as I cannot cook everyday, so when i do have time to cook, I make two or three things, and bake, too.   A friend asked me how I make my soups and to be honest I do what I do with my Taco Meat recipe. I cook the chicken or hamburger, or stew meat or pork.   I usually cook it frozen in some water and just add some dehydrated onion, salt, and pepper.   When it is cooked (I cook it in a big pot), I add a can (s) of whatever....   For example: 2 weeks ago, I cooked two large chicken breasts and then cut them into bit-sized pieces. I then added:   1 can of corn 1 can of pinto beans 1 can of kidney beans 1 can of black beans 1 can of diced potatoes 1 can of sliced carrots, and 1 can of diced tomatoes with Chile peppers   I then added about half a jar of Ragu Traditional Spaghetti sauce, some Goya Sazon Seasoning packages, some garlic, a little water, and more salt and pepper to taste.   On Saturday, I cooked some hamburger and added:   2 cans of corn 2 cans of pinto beans 1 can of kidney beans 2 cans of black beans 1 can of diced tomatoes with Chile peppers   I then added about half a jar of Ragu Traditional Spaghetti sauce, some Goya Sazon Seasoning packages, some garlic, a little water, and more salt and pepper to taste.   On Sunday, we had company....and both Fito and I invited families. I had stuff to make Pupusas, but not enough, so I took out the left over Chili (above) and added 6 more cans of beans and corn, some more Ragu, another Goya flavor packet, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder....   Heated it up and let it boil for about 10 minutes...   Rave reviews, and they acted as though i had spent hours cooking the stuff.   I also made homemade cinnamon rolls on Sunday, but I put way too much cinnamon in them and the centers are inedible. Although, that is probably good for me as I do not need to eat them anyway.   The pictures above are of Alexander and Celeste, my grandchildren. The one picture is of Maria and Rebeca, my eldest and youngest daughters.   Celeste will turn 2 the end of September and we plan to go to Houston next week to be at her birthday party.   Last Saturday, we went to the flea market in the morning and cleaned up the 3 upstairs rooms in the afternoon. We have not done such a thorough cleaning since we moved in. I decluttered everything (which is code for Mommy throwing away or taking to Good Will) all the toys, old school papers, old clothes, etc.   We took more than 7 trash bags and boxes of stuff out of those rooms. Amazing how quickly stuff can accumulate.