Mission Accomplished!

When we began looking at houses back in May, I had a goal: get moved-in and unpacked in time to put-up my fall decor. It was a lofty goal: could we even find a house by then? Of course, I wanted a house with a pool as well in time to enjoy for the summer. Well...

We fell in love with the first house we looked at. We put in an offer. We closed escrow just 3 days into summer. We have thoroughly enjoyed the pool. And, as for the decor... we were all decorated by the first day of fall! I'm feeling so blessed! We still have a lot of little projects, of course... but I'm still feeling super blessed!

They Came!

Last Wednesday, our long-awaited package finally arrived from Amazon; "real" Bibles for the big girls! (Side note: it was not Amazon's fault that it took so long, but really mine and Daniel's, as we couldn't decide which one to buy!) We decided to go with the NLT since that is the version I use and it seems easiest for the girls.

They have been THRILLED! Natalie wants to read it every day instead of her school books. Allison is reading hers all the time, too. It is so fun for me to see them this way about a Bible! May it last forever! :)

Signed,
Proud Mama

Pumpkin Waffle Recipe

Pumpkin Waffles, (from Family Fun... these are the best!)

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin

Instructions

1. Set up the waffle iron on a countertop or table within easy reach of the cook. Plug in the iron to preheat it. (Remind your child never to touch the surface of the iron; she should touch only the handle and always cook with adult supervision.)

2. In a medium-size mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, melted butter, and pumpkin. Pour the wet ingredients over the flour mixture and stir just until combined.

3. Coat the preheated waffle iron with cooking spray. Pour the waffle batter onto the center of each section of the iron. (You will need 1/4 to 3/4 cup of batter for each waffle.)

4. Cook the waffles for about 4 to 5 minutes or until they are crispy and light brown. (Read the manufacturer's directions for details about how long you should cook the waffles in your particular waffle iron.) Serve immediately with maple syrup and butter. Serves 4.

RAINY Day

Believe it or not, these pictures were taken THREE days ago! Yes, it was warm enough to swim... well, at least the kids thought so. (The pool was a bit chilly for me!) We could hardly believe there was rain in the forecast. But, alas...


Today it came! And, the girls LOVED it. And, I LOVED it! They came downstairs all dressed in warm clothes once again, and immediately asked to go outside. Wet clothes = wet floors... sigh... "Sure, you can go outside!"





The girls tromped around for a good 20 minutes, and then decided they needed to warm-up. What better way to enjoy this rainy day than our first hot chocolate of the season?


Sierra did great with her first-ever hot chocolate!

One of the reasons I love homeschooling is rainy days. We didn't have to rush out of the house; we put on our cozy slippers and jumped right into school after our jaunt outside and hot chocolate warm-up. Both girls sat on my lap to do their reading, and I just held them tight, looking outside, so thankful for this time.

We also studied a little about underwater creatures for our science exploration, and then I had the girls do an art project about the sea star and sea urchin. They had to figure out themselves how to give the creatures texture. They chose salt for the sea star and toothpicks for the urchin. I was so impressed! Happy rainy day!

BUSY Day!

It was a glorious fall day! High of 70 degrees... rolling clouds... blue and gray skies... And, best of all, we started up with our cooking class again, today!


There's nowhere else in Southern California I'd rather be on a day like this than Claremont! This year, both Natalie and Allison are doing cooking. (I must say, I missed having my little artist/ photographer with me, but she loved her class!)

Like the outfits? I had to laugh; I told them to dress warm, and this is what they came up with! Can someone say "Punky Brewster?"


Sierra was a fun companion this year. We watched for a little while, then headed to the toy store. As always, her favorite was the stuffed animals. We also went to the bakery to get some fresh bread to go with the homemade lasagna that was in our crockpot at home, along with some pumpkin cookies for the girls' secret sisters at Keepers of the Home.

Meanwhile, the girls made some Halloween-themed treats including "eye of gnewts," and "candy corn parfait."

Sierra was lucky her big sister Allison decided to share her candy corn parfait!

We got home with just under 2 hours before Keepers of the Home. The girls didn't need lunch since they ate at cooking class, so we decorated bags for our coookies and drew pictures for our secret sisters.



Littlest one decided she would talk in her crib the entire time instead of napping, so she came out for the last 10 minutes to do some decorating of her own. FYI, Sierra LOVES glue!

The girls came home from Keepers and were SO excited to see Uncle Gary and Aunt Carol had come for a visit. They were down from Montana, and the girls didn't even remember the one time they had met them before, but it didn't matter... they were family, and the girls were thrilled!
They came bearing gifts, including Halloween crafts for the kids, and Huckleberry jam for mommy. Time to make some crepes tomorrow!


We had a lovely dinner, another pear pie and pumpkin lattes for dessert, and then fun time! The girls made bracelets and headbands from their new pipe cleaners. Even Sierra was so excited, she kept saying, "Cawol -- Uncle Gawy!" My heart was just bursting!




Lovin' this weather... lovin' my family...

Halloween Painted Rocks

Q: What do you do when your kids are asking for a fall craft and you don't have time for anything elaborate?

A: Let them paint rocks!

We brainstormed lots of options, and even looked through some books for ideas. I shouldn't have said the words, "candy corn" out loud, because then Sierra pointed to the real deal, and was done painting!


Finally, display them in a bowl for them to feel proud!

Once Again...

Oh, Trader Joes... I will blame you for all my excess pregnancy weight! Just read that package; dark chocolate, peanut butter, wafers, crunchy, creamy, salty, sweet... I know I bragged about my clean house and trimmed yard yesterday; I spoke too soon. I didn't realize I had 5 loads of laundry piled-up to do tonight. Thank goodness for these awesome cookies, and "The Amazing Race!"

Goodbye, Summer!

Happy October! Let's see... the house is clean, the lawn is mowed, the pool is clean, and we even decorated for fall! This is a rare day, indeed! Even though it is officially fall, there is still some summer left in the air and we are enjoying a few of the summer perks, such as the ice cream truck!

I sent the girls out by themselves and let them pay, as I watched from the door. It was a little surreal to watch!

...And, evening popsicles and playtime on the Yehground. All too soon it will be too cold and dark to go out after dinner. Even now, there is a hint of chill in the air, that just warms my heart!






Swinging, sliding, imagining, blowing bubbles, picking flowers... I usually opt for these at night, rather than dishes. Sure, the dishes are waiting for me once the girls go to bed. But, there's something in the cool fall evening air that gives me such joy that the dishes don't seem that bad! Oh fall evenings, welcome!