Thursday Thoughts

Today I'm thinking about...


...Halloween costumes. And how much different things are now that the my kids are older. Years ago, we started the hunt for the perfect costumes in July. Right around the time each summer when things got old and summer seemed to drag, the Halloween magazines and catalogues appeared in the mail. We would spend hours looking at them, circling ideas and planning costumes for the kids. We changed our minds hundreds of times, but had so much fun dreaming of that chilly October night and what each child would wear.


Now that the kids are older, it is different. But also much easier. Madison no longer dresses up. She prefers to pass out candy at a friend's house. I am alright with that, because that is fun as well, and living where we do, we never get any trick-or-treaters here. : ) Flynn chooses the same costume every year. Any guesses? Yep. Cinderella it is! Luckily, I have the beautiful dress she wore to meet Cinderella at Disneyworld last summer. And that leaves my middle two. I am so thankful they both still want to go with us trick-or-treating. They enjoy it as much for Flynn as they do for themselves. And the candy. : ) They have been talking lately about going through the dress up box and see what they can throw together. The last thing I heard was something about a zombie and a bloody hatchet from Walmart. Stay tuned.


Here are a few pictures of the last week around here. We are still all about autumn!

The last of the leaves are hanging on...

before floating away...

leaving a bare beauty all its own.

We are sporting orange and black...

except for babies who are already dressed for Christmas. Or maybe still?

We are all about autumn food...like these Pumpkin Blossoms...

Pumpkin French toast...

Spider web Munch...(Recipe here. )

and warm bowls of soup. With cornbread.

We're having morning coffee by the fire...

spending chilly afternoons outside collecting fallen leaves...

and then drinking cocoa and watching movies...

before cuddling up on the couch with a Pumpkin Spice Latté...

or simple mug of tea. : )

Have a wonderful autumn weekend, my friends!

Barbecue Meatballs

Sometimes you just need a quick, easy meal. This is one of those. My friend Amy gave me this recipe years ago, and it quickly became a favorite in our house. Hopefully, it will in your house too. I usually serve these with egg noodles or rice and a vegetable. Enjoy!

Barbecue Meatballs

Ingredients;

1. 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
2. 3/4 cup oatmeal
3. 1 cup milk
4. 1 small onion
5. 1 tsp. salt
6. 1 cup ketchup
7. 2 Tbls. chopped onion
8. 2 Tbls. sugar
9. 1 Tbl. brown sugar
10. 1/2 cup water

Directions:

1. Mix first five ingredients and shape into balls.
2. Brown in a skillet, first sprayed with Pam.
3. Place browned meatballs in a 13x9 inch baking dish, sprayed with Pam.
4. Mix remaining ingredients to make sauce.
5. Pour sauce over.
6. Cover with foil.
7. Bake for one hour at 350 degrees.
8. Enjoy!

Note: I double this for our family. And for yummy leftovers. : )



Boo! 2014

On a dark, rainy, windy Friday evening, we pulled out our orange and black tubs and decorated our country home for my favorite...Halloween! Here are a few pictures of our house all ready for trick-or-treat. : )

The spooky Halloween mantle...

adds a touch of fun to the hearth room.

A cute little ghost and spooky pillow greet guests in the mudroom...

and one of my favorite Halloween decorations ever hangs near my desk.

Yep. That would be me. : )

The basket of favorite Halloween movies, books, and CDs sits in the family room...

while the holiday tree got some Halloween love as well.

And our darling, candy corn scented candle burns every evening in our not-so-spooky home.

Happy Halloween, my friends!

Thursday Thoughts

Today I'm thinking about...


...this weekend. And making a list of things to do. I am actually much less OCD about things than I used to be...and I make far fewer lists...but from time to time, I revert back to my old self and get serious about what needs done. : )


This weekend is our annual "Get ready for winter around the house" weekend. Our life seems to follow a comfortable, predictable pattern...and this time of year finds us preparing for the long months of cold and snow and inside life. We have a few things we like to do each year to make our winter life easier.


Steve will sweep out the garage and make room for Madison's car. I always park in the garage, but during the summer months, things seem to accumulate on the other side, leaving no room for her car. Time to take care of that. Steve will also wash the furnace filters...ugh...and change about a hundred light bulbs. Because the darkness comes earlier these days! We also put the hoses away, and tidy the other garage where we keep all the outside toys. Is it really time to pack away the water table and dust off the shovel? All in all, it isn't too much, but just enough to make us feel as if we accomplished something. Once done, we will continue to enjoy these glorious day of autumn. Hope you do as well! Here is what we have been up to here in our cozy, country home...

We're enjoying the crisp, sunny days...

and the chilly, windy ones too. : )

I am enjoying way too much of this cup of Heaven...

several times a day.

Told ya.

I'm wearing my new favorites...because I am mature like that.

We are taking field trips and leaf rides and finding all kinds of interesting creatures roaming around...

and going out to eat in Halloween clothes. And waiting for Mom to stop taking pictures so she can play Flappy Bird on my phone.

We are celebrating the return of our favorite show with zombie cupcakes made by our awesome small town bakery who love The Walking Dead as much as we do!

And we are taking selfies, because we got all dressed up to go out to dinner. : )

Have an amazing October weekend, my friends!

One Word Wednesday

October...



Pumpkin Patch 2014

We took our annual trip to the local pumpkin patch last week on a perfect autumn afternoon. The leaves were falling, the air was crisp, and the pumpkins were perfect.

Pumpkins for days...

 

 

My baby was hoping to find the perfect, tiny pumpkin.

 

 

And that is exactly what she did. : )

 

 

My oldest thinks on a much larger scale. : )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pulling the wagon was next on her list.

 

 

And then, another when the first one filled up. : )

 

 

 

 

The annual pumpkin patch picture...such good sports they are!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every year we come here, I am amazed that an entire year has passed...

Life is like that.

But oh, what a wonderful life it is.

 

 

 

 

My hubby braved the cold and rainy weather to set up the decorations...

 

 

because he knows just how happy that makes me. : )

 

 

 

Keep enjoying the autumn, my friends. : )