Happy Thanksgiving!

What a crazy fast fall this has turned out to be. I'm not sure where these months have gone. I suppose this is why we start celebrating Christmas in October, if we waited until after thanksgiving it would feel like the christmas season lasts only a few weeks (oh... I guess it does) well there's no fun in that is there?!
We will be spending thanksgiving at my mom and dad's house this year. I tried a really yummy dinner roll recipe with cinnamon butter - sooo yummy. I also am bringing some home-canned gherkin pickles and apple butter. I made the sweet potatoe casserole (always a hit...thanks to my MIL :) ) I'm hoping that today is less about all the yummy food though and more about what we really have to be thankful for. I think it's hard sometimes to be thankful for tangible things because on some level we feel like we have earned them through hard work and ambition. But, I was reminded last sunday that it is only by God's grace that we are allowed the very life that leads to our "success". So, while it is easy for me to be thankful for God's eternal gifts for me I will be trying to gain more perspective on how to be grateful to God for the tangible blessings and not just for the fact that we have what so many others do not.
Happy, Happy, Thanksgiving.

So the boys went to get their hair cut today...it was so cute! J.D's very first cut. D.H.was a bit more hesitant than i was, but the experience and results were great!


My Uncle did a good job working around J.D's jumping, jiving, little body.


And Tada... What a real little man he is now...his eyes look even bigger now:)

A.R. got beautified while we were there. She kept saying she wanted her hair pink, so my Aunt obliged in the most temporary way possible. (little pink glitter strings that get tied in to your hair) and she is the happiest princess in the world now with her pink hair.

Canning Accomplished

My first year canning seems to have been a success. I had a lot of fun and found some yummy recipes that I will probably do yearly. I also found some recipes that just aren't worth it..(ahem apple butter) It made a big mess and came out VERY cinnamony (not sure that's a word). Overall it was fun to learn some new things in the kitchen and save some money in the meantime. I couldn't resist putting this picture up of J.D. licking his lips while playing with some canned cherry peppers. My heart literally aches when I think of how much I love my little ones. "Praise God from Whom all Blessings Flow..."

Christmas Already?!

My family has a reputation for starting "christmas cheer" a tad early (ahem..papa). D.H. (dear husband) has followed swiftly in his father's footsteps. Therefore, we have been listening to Christmas music in our home for the past month or so. (I let on that I dislike it...but that toasty feeling that surrounds christmas is quite addicting) We have decided not to put up a christmas tree this year (900 sq. ft, a christmas tree, and a curious crawler...I can see the mayhem now) but that doesn't mean our house will not be stuffed with snowmen and reindeer from one wall to the other.
I will soon be working on some fun christmas gifts for the family. Hopefully, if I start making things this early - I'll be able to enjoy the approaching holiday instead of dread it.