Some things I love about fall...
Fall festivals with cousins...
pumpkins...
farmers' markets...
apples...
mums...
popcorn and taffy apples...
and sitting in leaves...
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Loving the Fall
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Thankful Thursday
Today was a very normal, stay-at-home day for the kiddos and me, but throughout the day, I tried to stop and breathe in the moment, thankful for the little things that make life grand.
Today, I am thankful for my kids' hearts of worship. I taught them the song, "Our God is an Awesome God" at lunch today, along with the sign language, and my heart was overflowing as we sang and danced and proclaimed the truths of God over quesadillas, veggies, and bananas. SO beautiful.
Today, I am thankful for my kids' hearts of worship. I taught them the song, "Our God is an Awesome God" at lunch today, along with the sign language, and my heart was overflowing as we sang and danced and proclaimed the truths of God over quesadillas, veggies, and bananas. SO beautiful.
I am thankful for a sweet time of walking together around the neighborhood after we finished our schooling (and Sophia's first wagon ride!), watching the three older ones climb and jump off rocks, looking for trees whose leaves are changing colors, and enjoying the fresh air.
I am thankful for crockpots! I love putting dinner together in the morning and knowing all day that it is done!
I am thankful for phones. Even though my BFF lives out of state, I am so, very thankful we can still connect via the phone.
I am thankful that I am learning a bit more, day to day, how to create a new rhythm for our fall as I figure out how to run our home, be a mama to all my littles, and homeschool my boys. These have been some tiring days, but I am happy to be where I am at and am thankful we are en route to finding a new groove.
And I am very, very thankful that God seems to miraculously multiply our space in our cozy home. As some of you know, we have been blessed with 800 square feet of space for our growing family to live in, and somehow, it seems to keep working. We moved in with just one baby five years ago and never thought we would stay in our house long enough to have four children. But here we are, four children, AND starting our homeschooling journey, and we keep finding ways to organize, and re-organize, to make our space work for our family and to amazingly not feel cramped. After some careful rearranging, and after a trip to Ikea and Target and Sam's, we have a new "homeschooling shelf" that holds all of our curriculum, resources, and art supplies, and I LOVE it! I love the way it fits so much and works so well for all that we need. And I continue to praise God that our space continues to work for our family. We really and truly have all we need.
our new shelf
our homeschooling "corner"...
What are you thankful for today?
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Recipe of the Week: Apple Crisp
It is no secret to those who know us that Zach and I love dessert. Like, really, really love dessert.
We have been shocked to hear through the years that other people, in fact, do NOT have dessert every day.
We, admittedly, have dessert every. single. night.
It is truly a ritual for us, but we absolutely love, love, love our little ritual. It is our own mini "date" at the end of each day, and we treasure our connecting time together. After the children are all asleep, we clean the kitchen, sweep the floor, put away whatever laundry piles are leftover from the day, and prepare for schooling the next day. And after all our chores are said and done, we sink into the couch for some much-needed relaxing time. Sometimes we play a game. Sometimes we watch a movie. Sometimes we each go on our laptops. But we are always together. And we always make tea. And it always includes dessert.
Tonight I would like to share one of our favorite, fall dessert recipes...apple crisp! It is so easy to make, and it is absolutely delicious. This afternoon, I made our first apple crisp of the season with apples we bought at the orchard this weekend, which is really the best way to enjoy apple crisp!
(Just want to mention, too, that it is very easy to make this recipe gluten-free and/or dairy-free. I have made it gluten-free many times, and it is always just as delicious. To make it gluten-free, just substitute gluten-free flour and gluten-free oats, and to make it dairy-free, just use non-dairy butter!)
Apple Crisp (from one of my well-loved cookbooks, Better Homes and Gardens)
5 cups sliced, peeled cooking apples
2 - 4 T. sugar
1/2 c. regular rolled oats
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger (I always use cinnamon, and lots of it!)
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. chopped nuts (We love nuts, so I always include chopped walnuts.)
1. Place sliced apples in a greased, 2-qt. square baking dish. Stir in the sugar.
2. For topping, combine the oats, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the nuts. Sprinkle topping over filling.
3. Bake crisp at 375 for 40 minutes or until the fruit is tender and the topping is golden.
4. If desired, serve warm with ice cream (This is a must in our house!).
Hope you enjoy some relaxing dessert time this fall!
Off to enjoy mine...
We have been shocked to hear through the years that other people, in fact, do NOT have dessert every day.
We, admittedly, have dessert every. single. night.
It is truly a ritual for us, but we absolutely love, love, love our little ritual. It is our own mini "date" at the end of each day, and we treasure our connecting time together. After the children are all asleep, we clean the kitchen, sweep the floor, put away whatever laundry piles are leftover from the day, and prepare for schooling the next day. And after all our chores are said and done, we sink into the couch for some much-needed relaxing time. Sometimes we play a game. Sometimes we watch a movie. Sometimes we each go on our laptops. But we are always together. And we always make tea. And it always includes dessert.
Tonight I would like to share one of our favorite, fall dessert recipes...apple crisp! It is so easy to make, and it is absolutely delicious. This afternoon, I made our first apple crisp of the season with apples we bought at the orchard this weekend, which is really the best way to enjoy apple crisp!
(Just want to mention, too, that it is very easy to make this recipe gluten-free and/or dairy-free. I have made it gluten-free many times, and it is always just as delicious. To make it gluten-free, just substitute gluten-free flour and gluten-free oats, and to make it dairy-free, just use non-dairy butter!)
Apple Crisp (from one of my well-loved cookbooks, Better Homes and Gardens)
5 cups sliced, peeled cooking apples
2 - 4 T. sugar
1/2 c. regular rolled oats
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger (I always use cinnamon, and lots of it!)
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. chopped nuts (We love nuts, so I always include chopped walnuts.)
1. Place sliced apples in a greased, 2-qt. square baking dish. Stir in the sugar.
2. For topping, combine the oats, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the nuts. Sprinkle topping over filling.
3. Bake crisp at 375 for 40 minutes or until the fruit is tender and the topping is golden.
4. If desired, serve warm with ice cream (This is a must in our house!).
Hope you enjoy some relaxing dessert time this fall!
Off to enjoy mine...
Apple Orchard
One of my favorite days of the ENTIRE year is going to the apple orchard.
As much as I love the adventurous, full days of summer, I love fall even more.
I love the crisp air.
I love the leaves changing colors.
I love sweaters.
I love cider and pumpkin bread and chili.
I love apple crisp and apple pie and homemade applesauce.
And I love the experience of going to the apple orchard.
This year, because of the weather, there were no apples to be picked at our favorite orchard (Edwards Apple Orchard), so it was definitely a different experience for us as we went on Sunday! But we still loved our day there and had a great time going with my brother and his family.
As much as I love the adventurous, full days of summer, I love fall even more.
I love the crisp air.
I love the leaves changing colors.
I love sweaters.
I love cider and pumpkin bread and chili.
I love apple crisp and apple pie and homemade applesauce.
And I love the experience of going to the apple orchard.
This year, because of the weather, there were no apples to be picked at our favorite orchard (Edwards Apple Orchard), so it was definitely a different experience for us as we went on Sunday! But we still loved our day there and had a great time going with my brother and his family.
Our experience would not be complete without hot apple cider and the yummy cider donuts.
The kids loved ringing the big, old bell there.
Cousin love.
Petting zoo.
Fun at the wooden play area and on the old tractors.
Picnic dinner before we head home.
Hoping to pick apples again next year, but so thankful for the wonderful, fall day we had together as a family at the orchard. Truly one of the best days of the year. We still have more things on our fall bucket list, such as picking our own pumpkins, having a bonfire, making fall tree paintings, and baking lots of our fall favorites, including pumpkin bread, apple pie, and apple crisp! The kids are getting excited for trick-or-treating, and we are also keeping this season of thankfulness on our minds and hearts as we approach the months leading up to the holidays. We are soaking up the last days of sun and warmth and are looking forward to the cozy winter together.
What is on your fall bucket list??
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Thankful Thursday
Sammy's Gifts
- I'm thankful for the library.
- I'm thankful for this book. (Go, Go America)
- I'm thankful for the library movies and him (pointing to Micah).
- I'm thankful that I'm setting these toys up and that Micah's doing Lesson 4 today. (It is so strangely cute how excited both boys are about Micah's math...)
Micah's Gifts
- I'm thankful that I"m drawing a duck.
- I'm thankful for Sammy.
- I'm thankful for Mommy.
- I'm thankful for what we ate today...pasta and beans and carrots and grapes.
- I'm thankful for my Perplexus ball.
My Gifts
So thankful to watch my children paint this morning. I am not a super-crafty mom. I like to do crafts with my kids, but it is just not something we do all the time. Now that I am homeschooling and in "intentional mode," we are focusing one morning a week on a craft. Today's? Painting with apples. We cut them in half (the non-traditional way) to see the "star" with the seeds, and then used them to "stamp" on paper. The kids then went to town adding different colors and using different brushes to make their own masterpieces. It was a blast. Loved it all, and thanks to washable paint (and machine-washable smocks from Ikea), clean up was a cinch.
I am loving the start of our homeschooling journey. Today, as both my girls took their naps and as Sammy contentedly lined up a "parade" of superheroes and toys, Micah sat on the floor with his math books and manipulatives, completing a test, and I sat next to him mashing up bananas for a batch of banana bread I was working on. I snapped a picture to remember this "I love my life" moment, and I am so very thankful for this precious time with my littles. It is hard and tiring and there are times I lose my patience (and my perspective!) but this was one of those sweet moments to treasure in my heart.
- I'm thankful for the library.
- I'm thankful for this book. (Go, Go America)
- I'm thankful for the library movies and him (pointing to Micah).
- I'm thankful that I'm setting these toys up and that Micah's doing Lesson 4 today. (It is so strangely cute how excited both boys are about Micah's math...)
Micah's Gifts
- I'm thankful that I"m drawing a duck.
- I'm thankful for Sammy.
- I'm thankful for Mommy.
- I'm thankful for what we ate today...pasta and beans and carrots and grapes.
- I'm thankful for my Perplexus ball.
My Gifts
So thankful to watch my children paint this morning. I am not a super-crafty mom. I like to do crafts with my kids, but it is just not something we do all the time. Now that I am homeschooling and in "intentional mode," we are focusing one morning a week on a craft. Today's? Painting with apples. We cut them in half (the non-traditional way) to see the "star" with the seeds, and then used them to "stamp" on paper. The kids then went to town adding different colors and using different brushes to make their own masterpieces. It was a blast. Loved it all, and thanks to washable paint (and machine-washable smocks from Ikea), clean up was a cinch.
Micah's masterpiece...
Sammy's masterpiece...
Ella's masterpiece...
I am loving the start of our homeschooling journey. Today, as both my girls took their naps and as Sammy contentedly lined up a "parade" of superheroes and toys, Micah sat on the floor with his math books and manipulatives, completing a test, and I sat next to him mashing up bananas for a batch of banana bread I was working on. I snapped a picture to remember this "I love my life" moment, and I am so very thankful for this precious time with my littles. It is hard and tiring and there are times I lose my patience (and my perspective!) but this was one of those sweet moments to treasure in my heart.
Yesterday for Science, the boys did "space walking," where we attached sponges to their shoes with rubberbands to give them a feeling of weightlessness as they walk. So fun!
I am thankful for the everyday blessings of being a mama...Ella's time spent setting up her dolls, bathtime snuggles, Sammy creating a Little People village, a new taste of baby food, and the littles all on the couch together.
I am thankful for an impromptu post-nap/pre-dinner playtime with my sister and all the kiddos as we snacked and walked to the park. You know you're sisters when you can invite yourself over to play and can rummage through the pantry for a mid-afternoon snack. Loved it.
Thankful for all the organizing and rearranging we've been doing around here, continuing to make our house work for our family, and now creating space for homeschooling. Such little things like a lamp in a new location or a bin in a cubby or neat rows of colorful toys have brought joy to me this past week.
Our days have been oh-so-full and my head is hitting the pillow exhausted at night. But it is making our times of rest even the more sweet. We are learning a new rhythm here of life and school and chores and relationships, etc., but I am thankful for the time and grace in which to find that rhythm. In the meantime, thankful that life goes on with piles of clean laundry, not-quite-finished-being-organized shelves, counters of chaos, and simple meals. Thankful for my husband in which to tackle the load with, and thankful that we are living for such a greater purpose than ourselves.
What are you thankful for today?
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Recipe of the Week - Pumpkin Bread
As a way to welcome Fall, I would love to share my absolute favorite pumpkin bread recipe. Each fall, the kids and I make it numerous times. It is soooo yummy. Definitely a perfect way to enjoy this cooler weather - a hot cup of tea or cider and a slice of bread. It was given to me by my dear friend in Minnesota (simplicityinthesuburbs.com), and we have both passed on this recipe to many people!
Enjoy!
Pumpkin Bread
1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ Tsp. baking powder
½ tsp salt
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
¼ cup lt. brown sugar
½ tsp. vanilla
1-15 oz can pumpkin
¾ cup oil
ground cinnamon
Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.
Beat eggs, sugars, and vanilla in large bowl on high speed for about 30 seconds.
Add dry ingredients and mix well.
Add pumpkin and oil and mix well.
Sprinkle as much cinnamon as desired and mix again (I always sprinkle in LOTS, and this is always a favorite job of my little helpers, too).
Pour batter into two greased (medium-sized) loaf pans.
Bake at 350 approximately 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Enjoy!
Pumpkin Bread
1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ Tsp. baking powder
½ tsp salt
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
¼ cup lt. brown sugar
½ tsp. vanilla
1-15 oz can pumpkin
¾ cup oil
ground cinnamon
Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.
Beat eggs, sugars, and vanilla in large bowl on high speed for about 30 seconds.
Add dry ingredients and mix well.
Add pumpkin and oil and mix well.
Sprinkle as much cinnamon as desired and mix again (I always sprinkle in LOTS, and this is always a favorite job of my little helpers, too).
Pour batter into two greased (medium-sized) loaf pans.
Bake at 350 approximately 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Some Days
Some days, the toys are picked up at the right time, the girls take a nice, long nap, and I even make a cup of tea in the middle of the afternoon.
Some days, the hamper is empty, the counters are cleared, and the dishwasher is unloaded.
Some days, there are brownies baking in the oven, and a made-from-scratch dinner is on the table at 5:30 when my husband gets home from work.
Some days, the routine works, the schedule works, and the chores get done.
Other days, it doesn't. And they don't.
Because some days, the dishes stay in the sink, the hamper is overflowing, and I am throwing in a frozen pizza for dinner.
Some days, I am stepping over dirty pajamas and diapers and puzzle pieces to run a paci to the crying baby. Or I am a step behind a busy toddler dumping out a cup of water, pressing buttons on the computer, and dumping out a box of baking soda in the pantry.
Today is one of those days.
Math and reading books spread on the couch, scraps of cut paper on the floor, sweatshirts and lunch bags from our morning at the park strewn across the chairs and floor. Dirty dishes, diapers, and laundry waiting for some attention...this is the kind of day we are having.
And I, by grace from our gracious Father, am embracing it.
Embracing the messy, embracing the "undones," embracing the imperfect.
Don't get me wrong...I love the days when things go smoothly and the house is peacefully in order.
But the reality is that it cannot be so every day.
We need to have the "some days" in order to live in the reality that is life.
So for today, I am choosing to take a deep breath, thankful for fresh air coming in through the windows, and smile and hug my children as I attempt to put dishes in the sink, clothes in the hamper, and sweatshirts on hooks.
Because this season is sweet.
And life is good.
Hoping you can embrace your "some day," too, whichever kind it is.
Some days, the hamper is empty, the counters are cleared, and the dishwasher is unloaded.
Some days, there are brownies baking in the oven, and a made-from-scratch dinner is on the table at 5:30 when my husband gets home from work.
Some days, the routine works, the schedule works, and the chores get done.
Other days, it doesn't. And they don't.
Because some days, the dishes stay in the sink, the hamper is overflowing, and I am throwing in a frozen pizza for dinner.
Some days, I am stepping over dirty pajamas and diapers and puzzle pieces to run a paci to the crying baby. Or I am a step behind a busy toddler dumping out a cup of water, pressing buttons on the computer, and dumping out a box of baking soda in the pantry.
Today is one of those days.
Math and reading books spread on the couch, scraps of cut paper on the floor, sweatshirts and lunch bags from our morning at the park strewn across the chairs and floor. Dirty dishes, diapers, and laundry waiting for some attention...this is the kind of day we are having.
And I, by grace from our gracious Father, am embracing it.
Embracing the messy, embracing the "undones," embracing the imperfect.
Don't get me wrong...I love the days when things go smoothly and the house is peacefully in order.
But the reality is that it cannot be so every day.
We need to have the "some days" in order to live in the reality that is life.
So for today, I am choosing to take a deep breath, thankful for fresh air coming in through the windows, and smile and hug my children as I attempt to put dishes in the sink, clothes in the hamper, and sweatshirts on hooks.
Because this season is sweet.
And life is good.
Hoping you can embrace your "some day," too, whichever kind it is.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Thankful Thursday
Much to be thankful for this week.
Our homeschooling journey started on Monday, and the boys and I have truly enjoyed this time together.
Some homeschool highlights that I am thankful for...
- sitting on the floor with Micah, math manipulatives all around us
- reading aloud to the children a biography of a true, Christian hero
- taking a romp through the woods and by the river in our neighborhood
- building clay animals
- baking brownies
- watching Sammy light up over the alphabet book he is making
- Micah so excited about his first math test
- watching the "Fify Nifty United States" song on Youtube over and over and over...
- starting our day with devotions and a memory verse
I am thankful for the opportunity to school my children at home, and I am so thankful their little minds absorb so much and that they are so excited about what we are doing and learning! Sammy said in a prayer time this week, "Thank you, God, that we are doing homeschool every day and that we are doing the calendar every day."
I am thankful for a slower-paced week to adjust to the new schedule and routine of fall and of schooling.
And I am thankful for grace in finding a new rhythm...
Sophia has started eating solid foods this week, and I am trying to hold very tenderly these precious moments with her as a baby. I know too well that the time "goes so fast," as everyone says, and I want to savor her babyhood as much as possible. Her smiles, her chub, her bright blue eyes, her little coos...I want to capture and treasure it all. She is a picture of true joy and beauty and life, and she is a breath of fresh air to me every day.
Ella and Sammy helped me bake brownies today as a surprise for Zach. Micah asked me if it was because Daddy brought me flowers the other day...I am so thrilled he gets to see us loving each other, and I hope and pray he will experience the joy that comes from loving outside of yourself.
Thankful for our new routine and for freedom and grace as I figure it all out. Thankful for the cooler, fall-ish weather, and thankful that we have everything we need.
Our homeschooling journey started on Monday, and the boys and I have truly enjoyed this time together.
Some homeschool highlights that I am thankful for...
- sitting on the floor with Micah, math manipulatives all around us
- reading aloud to the children a biography of a true, Christian hero
- taking a romp through the woods and by the river in our neighborhood
- building clay animals
- baking brownies
- watching Sammy light up over the alphabet book he is making
- Micah so excited about his first math test
- watching the "Fify Nifty United States" song on Youtube over and over and over...
- starting our day with devotions and a memory verse
I am thankful for the opportunity to school my children at home, and I am so thankful their little minds absorb so much and that they are so excited about what we are doing and learning! Sammy said in a prayer time this week, "Thank you, God, that we are doing homeschool every day and that we are doing the calendar every day."
I am thankful for a slower-paced week to adjust to the new schedule and routine of fall and of schooling.
And I am thankful for grace in finding a new rhythm...
Our First Day of School...
Sophia has started eating solid foods this week, and I am trying to hold very tenderly these precious moments with her as a baby. I know too well that the time "goes so fast," as everyone says, and I want to savor her babyhood as much as possible. Her smiles, her chub, her bright blue eyes, her little coos...I want to capture and treasure it all. She is a picture of true joy and beauty and life, and she is a breath of fresh air to me every day.
She literally pulled the doll-sized pack n play over herself this week...ha!
Ella and Sammy helped me bake brownies today as a surprise for Zach. Micah asked me if it was because Daddy brought me flowers the other day...I am so thrilled he gets to see us loving each other, and I hope and pray he will experience the joy that comes from loving outside of yourself.
Thankful for our new routine and for freedom and grace as I figure it all out. Thankful for the cooler, fall-ish weather, and thankful that we have everything we need.
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