Dressing Up Is Such A Treat!!

If you have visited our blog very much you probably know that this blog is a way to keep family and friends up to date on what is going on here. Because both sets of grandparents live 4 hours away and are not able to visit often I like to post pictures so that they can see what the kids are doing and what is happening in our lives.

Here is a picture of our children dressed up and enjoying our church's Trunk or Treat. We are not fans of Halloween but the kids have lots of fun dressing up! :) The cowboy outfits that Timothy and Joanna have on are the costumes that Bryan's mom (Gigi) made for Isaac and Sarah when they were little. I will have to see if I can find that picture and share it. :)

I can not believe it is November 3rd already!! It will be Thanksgiving soon! Lots to be thankful for! (check out the "Thankful" post on this blog). :)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Bryan and the kids stopped by an Amish home one Saturday and bought me a pumpkin. :) I love it that they think about me. :) They know that last year I was so excited to learn how to cook a pumpkin and scoop out the goody in the middle, then make some delicious Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins. YUMMY!!

After we let this pumpkin sit on the counter (it was a really pretty pumpkin) for a few days (maybe even a week or two) I found some time to cook it and puree the inside. I froze most of it but kept some of the puree in the fridge.

As I was searching the Internet for a soup recipe I came across a Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe and thought I would give it a try. Since the kids like to cook I thought this would be a perfect time for them to help out.

Talk about soft and chewy!!! Fall is in the air and pumpkins are everywhere...so this is a perfect time to try this recipe!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies
3 cups all-purpose flour (I used freshly ground whole wheat flour)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or 1 tsp if you like)
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and spices. Set aside.
3. Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla, and pumpkin and mix until combined, about 3 minutes. Slowly add in the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4. Drop by large, rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to brown around the edges. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for two minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.

In the recipe above I included the adjustments I made. These cookies were so soft and chewy that when I stacked them to store them they stuck together. This recipe is definitely a keeper and we will be making these again and again and again. :) Enjoy!!

So much FUN!

Tonight we had church but the kids could dress up and then Bryan and the Youth dressed up as characters from "Pilgrims Progress". I thought my crew looked so good in their costumes and wanted to share pictures of everyone. Isaac and Sarah won their age group's costume contest! :)

Isaac the pirate!! Ahoy Mate'!

Spiderman....nobody knows who you are! :) (AKA Timothy)

Grandma Sarah!

Our little horse, Elijah!

She does sting!! (Joanna)

"Christian" with his burden! :)

Thanksgiving 2011

Some of the Camp's walking from Rusty and Candice's house to Pop and Gigi's.

Sarah helping Elijah

Timothy riding the tricycle

Elijah LOVES riding the BIG wheel!

Joanna learned how to climb down the stairs at Pop and Gigi's!

Isaac got to watch ALOT of football!

A little one on one basketball is so much fun!

Bath time at Gigi's is F-U-N!

All the kids like taking a bath at Gigi's house

Sister time! Sarah and Joanna reading a book.

On Thanksgiving Day we ate supper with Bryan's family and it was so nice to see everyone! The food as always was so delicious! Then we got to spend all day Friday with Bryan's parents, Rusty, Candice and their boys, so much fun! Rusty is Bryan's youngest brother and his oldest son is 3, add him to Elijah and Timothy and you have some BOYS! We walked through the woods, rode 4- wheelers, rode the BIG wheel and tricycle, played basketball and enjoyed every minute of it all! Saturday we went to my parents'. We got to go with them to church. It was so nice being with my parents. Dad and Mom took us to look at Christmas lights on Monday night and then Tuesday morning we headed home. It's been nice to be home and get some things done around here. Bryan is taking vacation this week so we are enjoying him being here with us!! So much to be THANKFUL for!!!

Fall Fun!

To everything there is a season,

A time for every purpose under heaven:

Ecclesiastes 3:1

I am so far behind on blogging (again) that I may never catch up! :)

In October a couple from our church invited us to their house for some "Fall Fun"! We went last year and had such a great time. This year was just as much fun! There are always so much for the kids to do and lots of other kiddos to play with. Lots of GREAT food and a really fun hay ride! My kids were so excited about going and enjoyed every minute of being there. We are so thankful to the Luttrell's for inviting us and going above and beyond to make it a wonderful time!!

Thanksgiving Day!

Future Astronauts!

Timothy Loved this little slide!

Elijah coming off his first space shuttle ride!

Candice and I with our beautiful pregnant bellies!

This Gigi loves her grandkids!!!

Last week we headed to Alabama to spend Thanksgiving with Bryan's family. Yes, we got to see my parents but we actually spent Thanksgiving Day with Bryan's family. On the way down we stopped by the Space Center and let the kids play. This helped break up the trip and the kids enjoyed it. Bryan's mother's family comes over and there is a house full!! We always enjoy getting to see everyone and eat such delicious food. This year was a different because Bryan's older brother was in the hospital and him and his wife were not there. We were thankful that we did get to see our niece and nephew and that Isaac and Sarah got to spend time with them. I always try to be good at taking pictures but it gets harder because I either forget or I am having to keep up with the little ones. I did get a few pics and I have posted some of them. We are so thankful that Bryan's parents let us stay with them and they are so good to us. Thank you Pop and Gigi for opening up your home for us and for going above and beyond to make us feel at home.

I have posted a pic of my sister-n-law and me with our pregnant bellies! She is about 21 weeks and they are having a boy. They have one boy named Jameson, so this will make boy #2 for them. We are excited about this new baby for them.

On Thursday night I also got to visit with a very dear friend of mine, Wendy. She was headed home after visiting family and stopped by Bryan's parents house so we could see each other. Wendy is one of those friends that will go the extra mile. Wendy and I actually met almost 13 years ago.....can't believe it has actually been that long. She was a Senior in high school and was attending with her boyfriend the church Bryan's was pastoring. I was there when the Lord changed Wendy's heart, when she married that boyfriend (Ben), when she went off to college (and we kept in touch) and then I have gotten to see her become a mother and blossom into a wonderful wife and mother of 3!! Bottom line....I am so thankful to have a friend like Wendy and so glad that we still keep in touch and enjoy seeing each other. I love you Wendy!!

We did have a great Thanksgiving but we are so very thankful to be back home and in our own bed's and back to our daily routine.

Fall Fest Fun!!

Sarah (cowgirl), Elijah (builder) and Timothy (Bumblebee)

Look at that girl ride!

Elijah did not want to get off!

Timothy cried at first but then he was fine and enjoyed the ride!

I think Elijah could have stayed at the big slide inflatable all night and been just happy!!

This is Elijah playing the bean bag toss in the preschool area.

Isaac riding the horse. As we were leaving they had to ride the horses again.

After baths the boys were being silly by putting on Timothy's costume.

Actually Isaac started the "dress up" thing. I thought this a cute picture of these two.

Our Fall Fest was last Saturday night (October 30) at our church. The kids had such a great time! My plans were to only stay about an hour because we needed to get home and prepare for church the next morning, but ended up staying the whole time! There was some outside things so we did them first so that when the sun went down we would be inside and out of the cold. There was pony rides, inflatables and a petting zoo on the outside. Isaac says his favorite thing was the pony rides. Then on the inside there was of coarse Pizza, cake walk, laser tag, face painting and corn hole. Also on the inside was a few rooms just for preschoolers like a cupcake walk, duck pond, bean bag toss and miniature corn hole. The kids got some candy but I am so thankful that we did not get too much this year!! Needless to say when we left we all were a little tired and ready to eat some candy and go to bed!! A great BIG thanks to my mom and dad who were here to help me with the kids at the Fall Fest!!!

Fall is here!

OK, so it doesn't feel like fall, but Wednesday was the official first day of Autumn! I just love this time of the year, when the weather begins to cool down...not too much. How can we see the wonderful works in the changing of seasons and NOT KNOW that there is a God? God is the one who changes the seasons but even more so He is in the heart changing business. Just as He changes the seasons He so wants to change our hearts from a heart of stone to a heart of flesh (soft heart).

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

Ezekiel 36:26-27

I am reminded of when the Lord changed my heart! I was 19 when God revealed my sin and my need for Him. It was then that He removed my heart of stone and put within me a heart of flesh. God began forming me into what He ultimately wants me to be. I turned from my sin and began to follow Him. No, I am not perfect but everyday I have to die to myself and allow God to be Lord of my life, allow Him to be in complete control. I want Him to be in charge because I know that I will mess things up. Now that God has changed my heart I want everyone to hear His message through what He has done in my life. The message, that I was DEAD in my sin and without hope until He brought life to me through the death of Jesus who paid for my sin when He died on the cross. That is right, there was nothing I could do to save myself it was only because of GOD that I am alive today. No, I wasn't a "bad" girl but even good people spend eternity separated from God in hell, and that is exactly where I was headed. I am being sanctified every day and pray that my life would be one that pleases the Lord and brings Him glory!

Enjoying a Fall Day!

There is just something about the change of seasons, you can just feel it in the air. Next week the time will change, the leaves are turning beautiful colors, and the weather is not too cold and not too hot.....just right. Last week the weather was so nice that the kids and I got to enjoy it some. The big kids and I got out the baby swing and cleaned it up so we could put Timothy in it. He LOVED it!! Isaac, Sarah and I took turns pushing him. Elijah enjoyed being outside so much also, of coarse he would stay outside all the time if we let him. Isaac is crazy about being outside because he can practice kicking the football and play football. We even aired up the bicycle tires and let them ride. We have a perfect spot in front of the house, they can ride in the road during the day because everyone is at work or school and we live on a dead end street. By the way the swing set was passed down by some grandparents in our church (their grandkids have out grown it) and our kids have gotten some good use out of it. Just another one of those blessings God has bestowed on us through the body of believers. Sarah gets outside and can have so much fun using her wonderful imagination. For me it is nice just to get some fresh air and watch the kids have fun. We even tried doing school outside one day but.......we didn't get very far so we had to come in and finish up. I can't forget Bryan.....he loves being able to run in this nice weather. As I type this post I can hear Bryan and the kids outside enjoying this lovely weather and time together. Thank you God for giving us all these wonderful things, You truely are amazing!!!