Pick a Perfect Pumpkin

Ah, Fall! I love the cool crisp days, the warm colors, pulling out the jeans, cozy sweaters & jackets. I love all the hustle & bustle and fun family activities like Fall Festivals, Trick or Treating and of course, the visit to the pumpkin patch. This past weekend we made the trip to find the perfect pumpkins. It was a wonderful afternoon filled with running through corn mazes, climbing mountains of hay bales, a wagon ride, indulging in some yummy ice cream and of course, the hunt for the pumpkins. We have a wonderful little pumpkin patch just up the road from us. Last year we ventured out to a place that was supposed to be "bigger & better" and found it was way oversold so this year we returned to the little place up the road.



Sister Girl in the corn maze


Lil' Baby Girl Pumpkin

Sister Girl with her perfect pumpkin

Baby Girl with her perfect pumpkin

By the pond

Atop the Hay Mountain

My Lone Political Post

And it's not even in my own words. ;) This guy expressed my thoughts on all of this better than I could. I may not agree with every single last thing he says but then again maybe I do.
Take a moment to read

Frugal Dad's The Most Important Election In Our History; Not Really

Destroyer

Sister Girl is running Cross Country this year for the first time. While not the fastest runner, she's worked hard and has come a long way since the beginning of the season. Her two main goals this season were to earn a medal in a race and to earn a Detroyer medal. The Destroyer medal is given by the coaches. You earn one by "destroying" the goal the coach set for you in that race. As of tonight, she has accomplished both of her goals. She earned a race medal a couple of weeks back and tonight she received the Destroyer medal for a recent race. She has managed to beat her goal in the last 4 races but this particular race she beat it by almost 2 minutes. She was one very happy little girl tonight. She only has one more practice and one more race to go in this season. It has been a treat to watch her set her own goals in this sport. She is not super competitive with the other racers and is always so proud of how the other racers do. Her focus in the race is achieving her own personal goals. She says she wants to keep running Cross Country, so we look forward to what next year has to hold for her. I'm so pleased for her and what's she's accomplished this year.

ER

Waaaaah!

That is all.

I Just Love'em

The Man and I have been blessed with two awesome little daughters. It's been almost exactly 9 years since we found out we were expecting our very first child. Oh, how exciting that time was! We called the whole family as soon as that second line appeared with tears of joy in our eyes and in complete awe of the gift that we were being given. From that moment on our lives were changed in ways we could have never imagined before that.

Sister Girl was and is a delight to us. We were just completely enamored with every little thing she did from the moment she arrived. And we have enjoyed watching her grow into this amazing young girl who is inquisitive and enthusiastic about learning, who is compassionate and caring, who loves Jesus and delights in sharing His love with others, and whose goals in life are to be a missionary, a singer, an actress on Broadway and to run a nature preserve.

We couldn't wait to give Sister Girl a sibling, although wait we did. God's timing is always perfect though and Baby Girl arrived 3 years and 2 months after Sister Girl. Oh, what joy she has brought to us all. She is sweet and silly and a complete little cuddle bug. She has a sharp wit and is eager to please. She enjoys school and cannot wait to share all that she's learned each day. She loves to go to church and learn about Jesus and is so enthusiastic about learning her verses for Sparks each week.

It's hard to remember what life was like before we had kids. I think we must have wasted a lot of time. I don't remember how we filled our days before them. It is a joy and a privilege to have been entrusted with raising them. I know I am a better person for it.

Psalm 127:3(ESV) Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,the fruit of the womb a reward

MMMmmmmmuffins..........

One of our most favorite treats in this house is Banana Muffins. There's not one of us that does not just love them. For some reason this last week, the bunch of bananas I bought was overlooked and so I had a whole uneaten bunch getting a bit ripe. So I whipped up a double batch of our favorite banana muffins. We have breakfast and snacks for the next few days and maybe, just maybe, a few might make it to the freezer to be enjoyed later.

Here's our recipe for our most favorite Banana Muffins adapted from a Banana Bread recipe in the book, The Omega Diet.

Banana Muffins

1/3 cup canola oil

2 large eggs

1/4 cup low-fat yogurt

1 cup mashed ripe banana

1 t. vanilla

1 cup all purpose white flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2/3 cup sugar

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1/2. t. baking soda

1/4 t. salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray muffin pans with cooking spray. Beat oil, eggs, yogurt, banana and vanilla by hand until creamy. Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add to wet ingredients. Stir until combined. Spoon into muffin pans and bake for approximately 15 minutes or until done.

Oh, and I'm sure it's rather anti-Omega Diet friendly but I added chocolate chips to the second round of muffins. Oh so yummy!

Enjoy!

I Just Don't Have Time To Do It All

How many times have you said that? For me it's more times than I can count. I so often feel that I'm running in circles and never accomplishing anything much less being able to do it all. I am currently doing a Bible study entitled Lies Women Believe and the Truth That Sets Them Free by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. This weeks study has focused on the lies we believe about priorities. The Truth is that we don't have to do it all. But what we do need to do is get our priorities right to begin with. Jesus accomplished his entire earthly work in just a few short years. Why? Because he did the work he was given by his Father to do.

In John 17:4 Jesus says: I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

He didn't get sidetracked by a million little tasks. He didn't finish what his friends, family and followers all wanted him to do. But he did the work God gave him to do.

When we are exhausted and frustrated and just downright frazzled it's time to step back and take a good look at our priorities. Is the work God has given you to do your top priority or are you trying to do the work everyone else expects of you. (Please know I'm speaking to myself here.) Right now my main work is focused on raising a family. I have two young daughters and raising them with my husband is a huge part of the work God has given me to do. There are also some areas in my church and my community where I am able to serve. But I know I need to remain mindful that the work I'm doing is what God wants me to do and not just what I want to do or what someone else wants me to do.

Just in the last year I found myself wanting to do more, thinking God was just not using me enough. Oh goodness, can you believe that??? I wanted to be able to serve in a way I had at my old church in Mississippi and was frustrated that God hadn't opened up something like that here at my new church. For a couple of months, I found myself trying to make something happen that just wouldn't. I finally listened to what God was telling me and took a step back. I've learned to be content with the opportunities He's given me while still being open to whatever doors to serve He might open for me.

But how do we know for sure what work God has given us to do? Well, some of it is obvious like raising your children. But there are times when it's not so clear. Just because someone asks you to help out doesn't mean that is where you need to be serving. By spending time in prayer and reading God's word, He will give us the wisdom and discernment to know what He wants for us.

Psalm 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

We don't have to do it all, just the work God has given us to do. And that, my friends, is being set free.

Quote

"Many persons have the wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose."
Helen Keller