5 on Friday

today: 5 photos of our pumpkin carving session from this morning!

When it came time to clean out the giant pumpkin this morning, the ones that were the most excited about it yesterday, skipped it today. but we still had enough to get it done.  I decided that since the pumpkin was on the front step & it was nice out, we'd just go to it & do the messiness in the front yard.

 

 it was even so warm, we quickly shed our jackets!

then we called everyone over for a group shot of the masterpiece.

 this one is minus the fussies & w/Sam (which they thought was hillarious. :)

and a bonus shot of all the pumpkins/ornamental gourds we grew in the back yard this summer!!

have a great halloween weekend!!

OH how I love them!

I am blessed to have brothers that have children! & doubly blessed that they invite me every year to their Vacation Bible School program.  This is such a feel-good event for me! I always walk out w/sore cheeks & have blotted my eyes more than once from laughing so hard I cried.  This year's program was last Friday evening.

This is a pretty cool picture they had displaying of all of their children in this year's program.  They go to a small country church where everyone KNOWS everyone.

This is M. the eldest of both families. She & I share alot of similarities: eldest of 3, 2 younger brothers, brown hair, brown eyes, a lil on the dramatic side ;) but passionate almost to a fault.  When we want something, don't try to stand in our way.

This is R. He's the youngest of the 3. A true stinker, a busy body, always trying to 'keep up' w/the older 2, but a sweet heart & OH so funny!!  He's the first to come running when I enter the room & I better be ready b/c I am getting a big hug from him immediately.  He will stop what he's doing to dish out hugs but don't ask him to snuggle for more than a couple of seconds, gotta be on the go.

 

This is Big-O. the typical middle child. quiet, watchful, peacemaker, sponge of the trio.  latest sponge example: I overheard him using one of their Bible lessons from the week in how it pertained to him "M isn't showing compassion. I want a balloon too" after the program.  He is my favorite story teller. He tells it as if its life & as if he's lived it. True old soul here folks.  His heart is in the farm & he won't mind telling you how many cows he had @ check in this morning or how they need to 'get going' from a family dinner so he can get those chores done before he goes to bed. ADORABLE!

I have been blessed w/5 (& another on the way) nieces & nephews from my brothers & I couldn't love them any more had I given birth to them myself.  I am viciously defensive of them yet expect nothing but the best out of them. 

another Friday event

Last Friday we got to tour an ambulance for our Friday Field Trip! They weren't very excited about going, & I think its because an ambulance usually means something bad, dangerous or serious in nature that makes most adults slow down, stop a moment & take note.

but they warmed right up w/our EMT's open, chill approach to our visit.  They opened the doors, told the kids to pile in & let them ask any & all questions they could come up!

 AWESOME EXPERIENCE!!!

AND we got tatoos :) SCORE!!!

Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments

Today, was the first day of winter vacation. So we made our first ever Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments! Equal parts Cinnamon & Applesauce, stir, make a ball, roll out between freezer paper (its what I had on hand) to 1/2-1/4 inch, remove top sheet & cut w/cookie cutters.  (We found the 'old skool' metal silhouette style definitely worked better than the plastic ones.)  

Punch a hole ALL.THE.WAY. THROUGH. w/a straw, bake on lightly greased baking sheet in oven @200 degrees for 3-4 hrs or until all are hard or let air dry for 3-4 days. of course we baked ours b/c I have no patience! ;)

When they were cooled from baking, we threaded some w/loops of yarn for the tree, the rest we threaded on a loooooooooong piece of yarn alternating w/cut straws (to keep them separated) for a fun yummy smelling garland. I can totally see this fully embellished w/strips of material tied in knots over the straws, other dangly 'vintage/country' ornaments hanging from the straws & something else for the ends. But for now, this is good for us. (I am already eyeballing a swag that I've had for.ever. & is looking rather sad but still has some ca-ute parts that just might get rehomed soon ;)

the 4 & 6y/o girls were the only ones that followed this project from start to finish.  but we had a great time of it while the boys were playing tag & keep away. Great first day!!!

The End.

of the garden that is :)  gotcha didn't I?? ;) sorry!!

 

the end of the tomatoes & peppers .. so sad to see them done! but I have a decent pile of green tomatoes on the counter to chop for the freezer!

 
 the littles picking the end of the green beans. they loved this job way more than I expected them too. I took these shots from the tomato row. Had no idea Blake was tasting the panel until I was uploading them to edit. LOL KIDS!!!









 Kids & green beans, they love to pick & snap them & will even eat a couple. Some of them will eat them all if I don't pull some out for the freezer! :) YAY!! 

just some misc shots around the garden

hoping to gather some more photos from around the house for tomorrow, maybe a craft or even show off my new mum from the farmer's market! have a great Monday!!!

GLORIOUS FRIDAY!!!

BIG HUGE GIANT HUGS!!! SO HAPPY TO HAVE FRIDAY HERE! I am exhausted from this week!! the full moon really reaked havok on my restful sleep! boo!! go away full moon :)

Yesterday, we went to a city park (w/restrooms that leave alot to be desired) & played for 2 solid hours w/100 photos to show for it!!! :) we then ate our picnic lunch an hour early & went to a smaller city park until someone had an accident & then headed for home. nap time for all!!! well, all of them anyway, I just enjoyed the silence :)

today we are walking to the train depot & then coming back for some sprinkler play!!! :) YAY!!!!!  we had such a blast yday that I wish we could do it every day. 

this weekend @ home will be a busy one!! tonight- w5d2 run, Eclipse w/the girls, tomorrow-banking, farmer's market, scrapping 8am-6pm, dinner & movies w/Tim, Sunday- we have a milelong list of options! hopefully sleeping past 7 starts that list :)  Whats on your weekend agenda??

FRIDAY!

Even tho it feels only like Tuesday! :) I am all for changing the work week to Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday! to me it was totally worth having '2 Mondays' in the same week :))

so we baked cookies 2 days this week!!