Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Why I love this time of year!

Okay, so I've been noticing a few starting to get a bit down about fall fading into Winter.  First of all I understand because I did have one fleeting thought this week "Oh no after the holidays it stays miserable for sooooo long"...but I quickly pushed it out of my head.  Let tomorrow worry about tomorrow I said & then went along happily because we are still in the season I love. 
So, these are the things I love:
I love it when the rain pours down and the wind blows all around while I am inside my cozy house with the woodstove warmth wrapping me like a wool blanket.  It makes me so thankful to have shelter!

I love it when my children are all home from school in the evening & we have just had a fallish dinner of Ginger Carrot Soup with Turkey & Swiss Grilled Sandwiches.  We putter about satisfied and resting wrapped in dark with glowing lamp light to cozy up to.

I love making gift lists for the holidays (I always start early because just like my pumpkins come out in early Sept. my sparkly things start coming out before Thanksgiving!)  I LOVE CHRISTMAS.  It makes my heart glad.

I love bundling up to go out in sweats & ugg boots and sweaters with vests and knit hats.  It doesn't get better than that - except when I feel like going less casual and get to wear my favorite brown boots with jeans & a cute jacket!

I love the sunny days that break in and surprise me so I can't help but going out for a walk and feeling so blessed to have another gorgeous day - we have more nice days in fall than any other time of the year in the NW I think.

I love to hope for the first snow!

I could go on and on I think but that might be a real bore!  Just had to share why my heart is still full (and I'm so thankful it is!)
And come on - who wouldn't love this!  My little pooch Opal shows how to get really comfy on a drizzly day.
Blessings,
Olivia

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Pumpkin Patch & I'm almost Pumpkined Out!

A gorgeous day for a field trip with my kindergartener and little one!  To the pumpkin patch we go!
Country anything is cute in my book!
Loving the tractor ride out into the field. 

Milking the cow, that's an important skill to learn!

He's rewarded with ice cream for the effort, I'm rewarded with that smile!
Little sister get's in on the fun too!

Lots of animals to see before we go!

Later it's pumpkin carving and seed roasting time and...
 when the day comes to an end we enjoy our bounty of "Pumpkin Moonshines" on the porch!


Wednesday, October 20, 2010

A delicious & fallish recipe!

Every time I make this Bread or Muffins (this time I made both!) my husband (who is a chef:) says these are so good they should be in a bakery window.  They are pleasing to the eye and taste scrumptious!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread or Muffins
Preheat Oven to 375
Filling
1 8oz Pckg Cream Cheese
1 egg
1 t vanilla
3 T brown sugar

Topping
4 1/2 T ap flour
5 T sugar
3/4 t cinnamon
3 T butter
3 T chopped pecans

Batter
2 1/2 c ap flour
2 c white sugar
2 t b powder
2 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
2 eggs
1 1/3 c canned or fresh pumpkin
1/3 c olive oil
2 t vanilla

Make filling ~ Beat cream cheese until soft, add egg vanilla and brown sugar, beat til smooth.
Struesal topping ~ mix flour sugar cinnamon add butter, cut in til crumbly.
Batter ~ sift flour, sugar, b powder cinnamon salt make a well in the center and add eggs, pumpkin, olive oil, vanilla ~ beat until smooth.
Fill muffin cups halfway, add 1 T of cream cheese mix and sprinkle with streusal topping.
Bake at 375 20-25 minutes or longer for bread.

Trust me it is worth the effort!  At least once during fall!
Blessings,
Olivia

Sunday, October 10, 2010

a crown of contentment

"I would rather be what God chose to make me than the most glorious creature that I could think of; for to have been thought about, born in God's thought, and then made by God, is the dearest, grandest, and most precious thing in all thinking."
George MacDonald (C.S. Lewis' mentor)


I have a confession to make.  Sometimes, seeing the amazing women around me is simply inspiring!  Yet at other times, seeing these same amazing, caring, creative, multi-tasking, beautiful women around me (and in blogland) I fall into the habit of comparison. 
Yep, and it's not pretty when I'm asking myself if I measure up... I thought I would have some how "matured past this" by this point in my life. 
My heart's desire is to be a girl who wears the crown of contentment.  Content to be me, content to live the purpose God designed for ME  and not someone else. 
Today something in me changed...
Suddenly my eyes are opened and I'm telling you I'm not willing to go one more day without contentment in my heart!  Looking back over the times I've been mislead by comparison I'm seeing through different eyes than before.  Now I'm trusting in the one who formed me that his plan is perfect!  It's about faith - I realize, believing HE knows best!  He meant to make me just the way I am.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

A Place near the alter...

Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for her young - a place near your alter. Psalm 84:3

As my older children and husband are away here:

My littlest Carolyn and I are nesting here:
I've spent a VERY quiet weekend home, reading my bible and playing with my little one.  Probably missing out on some fun at the beach...but, needing to be near the alter.  I think what keeps me feeling far away from it at times is the busyness of life and the many distractions that come with having a big family in small home!

So I've nested by editing the decor in my home... 
(try not to notice the blue tape, did i mention we're painting:)


 By enjoying the view out my window...
By staying here and being purposeful about how I spend each moment (meaning I did only what I wanted to) instead of all the things I think I should!

Blessings,
Olivia

Friday, October 1, 2010

October, I can't believe you're here so soon!

welcome!
this is my new chicken scraps bucket, cute huh!  just had to share! 

my husband just completed our porch makeover and we've almost completed our trim painting & house paint touching up!  
here is the before:

this is when we bought our house 5 years ago ~ I always envisioned white trim!  Can you believe they hid our beautiful leaded glass windows behind all the trees!  Major improvements we've made ~ ideas mine of course, workmanship mostly my husbands!  thank you, thank you hun!
 i never could have orange pumpkins with that other combo so i went all out and opted for fallish mums too - it's A LOT of color for me - i'm warning you it's not likely to last long in my faded blue & grey world!  (but it's fun for once!) 

blessings!

About Me

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wife & mother of 4 beautiful children, 2 girls & 2 boys. small business co-owner; catering and a restaurant/alehouse, writer, gardener, lover of freedom and humility found in christ, small town enthusiast, book reader, admirer of noble truths, beauty and love

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