#35

Wishing a very Happy Anniversary today to my Mom and Dad!  

35 years and 6 kids later, they are a wonderful example to my siblings and me of how important it is to live with faith...and a good sense of humor, too. 

Enjoy your day!  We love you!

Pre-K Pumpkin Patch

Last week Ellen and I accompanied Jude's preschool class to the pumpkin patch. 

Ellen LOVED the hay maze!   

Both kiddos really enjoyed the petting zoo.  

Horse tire swings.  

Not so sure about the tractors.  

And since this was the same pumpkin patch Clare went to last year with her kindergarten class, Jude was very excited to find the "Dum Dum" statue and get his own picture with it!

Happy Fall!

Low-Fat Pumpkin Oatmeal Bites

In an effort to avoid too many extra calories before October 31, I made these the other day as a low-fat-pumpkin-flavored treat and have been enjoying them as a temporary alternative to other sweets...  

1 cup pumpkin

2 eggs

1 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

3 cups oats

1 cup raisins

This is easy direction-wise...  Combine wet ingredients.  Combine dry ingredients.  Mix the two together.  Bake on a greased cookie sheet for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.  Makes about 3 dozen.

Pumpkin Prayer

Jude brought this "pumpkin prayer" home in his backpack last week and I thought I would share:

Dear Jesus,

As I carve my pumpkin, help me pray this prayer:

Open my mind so I can learn about You.  (Cut the top off the pumpkin.)

Take all my sin and forgive the wrong that I do.  (Clean out the inside.)

Open my eye so Your love I will see.  (Cut eyes shaped like hearts.)

I'm sorry for the times I've turned up y nose at what You've given me.  

(Cut a nose in the shape of a cross.) 

Open my ears so Your word I will hear.  (Cut ears shaped like the Bible.)

Open my mouth to tell others You're near.  (Cut the mouth in the shape of a fish.)

Let Your light shine in all I say and do!  (Place a candle inside the pumpkin and light it.)  

Amen.

10 on the 10th

Linking up with A Bit of Sunshine for a later than usual post today.  

Ten pictures that captured the beauty of today...

Unloading the dishwasher this morning and noticed dishes were in a "ROY G BIV" arrangement of sorts.  

Made four "make and take" freezer meals at my MOPS meeting this morning.  Nothing is more beautiful than dinner ready to go!  

(I'll share favorite recipes from this later...and they're all crock pot ones no less!)

My cooler stocked to go home with potato soup, chicken teriyaki, beef stroganoff, and honey glazed pork chops.  

Ellen put the lunch dishes away...in the shoe basket in the laundry room.

Tunnel slide.  My body now hurts just looking at this...

Beautiful fall decor.  

Waiting for Clare in style.

A 2 year-old here is obsessed with My Little Ponies.  And her purple pumpkin.  

Pigtails + Oatmeal Cream Pie = Love 

Bedtime reading.  

Hope you had a wonderful Wednesday!

Deja Vu

Clare, age 2, helping me in the kitchen.  

Ellen, age 2, wearing the same outfit and helping me in the kitchen.

PS - Ellen and I were making our favorite pumpkin bread...so yummy!

Conversations with my Kids...

I feel like I'm repeating myself when talking to 75% of my housemates lately...

Last year, two of my sisters got married and the term "fiance"entered Clare's vocabulary.  Somehow Clare and her kindergarten crush "Lucas P." became each others' fiances.  The other day Lucas' family announced they are moving to Atlanta.  Clare acted cool about the announcement, but since then there have been a lot of questions about the weather, time of day, current season, and distance to Atlanta, Georgia.      

Jude's recent bedtime routine involves telling us that his bed is too thin, or sometimes too fat.  (Don't worry, we're not sure what he means by that, either.)  Other bed issues involve it being too hard or too soft.  The end result is always that he simply can't sleep in it.  So he ends up on the couch in the loft or in his sleeping bag on the floor in his room.  Both so much more comfortable than an actual bed.
 
And a certain 2 year-old has been repeating the phrase: "Of course I can!"  Although this is more of a monologue than a dialogue...

Happy Monday!

Balloon Glow

Awhile back we went to our first ever balloon glow with friends.  It was the first time we had ever been to such an event and the kids had a ball!  (It must have had something to do with staying up late with friends and getting glow sticks.  And seeing the balloons of course!)  I have to admit it was really neat!  

Filling them up.  

Dusk setting in.  

 

Ellen loved seeing them lit up!

Beautiful at night.  

And everyone's favorite, the Energizer Bunny!  

Hope you have an enjoyable weekend!

It's Fall Y'all

I forced myself wait until it was actually October to put out our pumpkins and other fall decor.
(I've been ready for fall for awhile...)  

My two favorites are the felt leaf garland that I made last year for the banister upstairs...  

...and the fall wreath I made for the front door 2 years ago.  

I'm also loving my new Walmart $2.99 festive plate in my plate rack.  

Jude especially likes the acorns this year and has us all repeating after him how to pronounce "acorn:"

"Say 'a.' "  

"Say 'corn.' " 

He's a genius!   

Ellen was v-e-r-y quiet the other day and I went upstairs to find that she had pretty much murdered a scarecrow...  

  

And Clare is happy with her TP pumpkin she made in pre-k.
(Displayed high in her room, refer to scarecrow above for reasoning why.)  

I even stocked up on candy for trick-or-treaters while we were grocery shopping the other day.  Jude, Ellen, and I each enjoyed a piece and then I hid the stash in the basement.  Although I figure the flight of stairs I'm running up and down to fix my afternoon chocolate craving is burning off eating said chocolate, right??    

Baked Potato Soup

Almost 6 years ago we spent the night before Thanksgiving at my aunt and uncle's house.  My aunt made this amazing potato soup for dinner that night, Ryan fell in love with it, and we've been enjoying it ever since.  Anyone I make this soup for always asks for the recipe.  (It must have something to do with the heavy whipping cream!)  I hope you enjoy it as much as we have!  

6 - 8 bacon slices, fried and crumbled
1 cup yellow onion
2/3 cup flour
6 cups chicken stock
4 cups peeled and cubed potatoes
2 cups heavy cream

Cook onions in bacon droppings until soft.  Add flour, cook for 1 minute.  Add some of chicken stock to pan and stir.  Add remaining ingredients.  Cook on low for 1 hour, stirring every once in awhile.

We like our soup with some warm bread.  Enjoy!

Linking here.  

Encouraging Words

A friend recently sent me a "Bible Verse Exchange" in the form of an email forward.  I usually delete any forwards that make their way to my inbox, but I was happy to take part in this one and looked forward to the encouraging bible verses that would be delivered to me.  Who doesn't need encouragement sent right to them at any and all hours of the day?

And they came yesterday when I was especially in need of happy and uplifting words.  Here are some of my favorites:

"The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:7

"The Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit intercedes for the saints..." - Romans 8:26-27

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace."  - Colossians 3:15

"Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."  - Isaiah 40:31

"You are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me." - Psalm 31:3

"The Lord give strength to his people; the Lord blessed his people with peace." - Psalm 29:11

"Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord."  - Psalm 31:24

 

"I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength."  - Philippians 4:13

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."  - Romans 15:13

"I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessings on your descendants."  - Isaiah 44:3

Loving Love Letters

Note Clare left me in her backpack pocket where I always put her morning school snack:

"I love you Mommy.
Love, Clare
You're the best Mommy in the world.
I love you so much.
Love, Clare"

Such a sweet girl.  :) 

Monday Menu

Happy Monday!  Hope your weekend was a good one!  We enjoyed two soccer games and some nice fall temperatures this weekend.  We ended our weekend with a big pot of potato soup.  That recipe is coming soon!  

My menu board for the week is looking like so:

Sunday - Baked potato soup

Monday - Chicken packets

Tuesday - Tacos

Wednesday - Sub sandwich with fries (loaf of French bread and 5 lbs. bag of potatoes on sale for 88 cents each!)

Thursday - Calzones

Friday - Black bean soup with cheese quesadillas 

Saturday - Chicken and Dumplings

PS - A very Happy 1st Anniversary to MJ and Michael!  

PSS - I hate car troubles, don't you??  

PSSS - Here's to a great week!

Chalkboard/Magnetic Menu Board

I love me some MOPS.  Breakfast is always amaaaaazing, the company of other moms is always much-welcomed, and the crafts we do are great!  

At our last meeting, we made menu boards.  (Idea found here, also made at a MOPS meeting!)   

Hardy-har-har!  :) 

The "board" is a small cookie sheet.  It was painted with chalkboard paint.  So you can either use magnets to post your menu for the week or write it in chalk.  

Holes were also drilled in the top of the cookie sheet to hang the menu board by ribbon if desired.  

I made my magnets out of clothespins.  Some ladies decided to make magnets out of beer/bottle caps.  (Similar to these.) 

Clare has enjoyed seeing what's on the menu for dinner each night and anticipating her favorites!

Have a great weekend!

Linking here.

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