Happy Weekend (finally!)

This week has been kinda long. Every day has felt like it should have been Friday. I'm glad the weekend is finally here. Today I am going to spend the day in the mountains, with my Mom and her cousin. It's supposed to be really cold and rainy, but I'm looking forward to it, because it's just us ladies.

Even though it's been a long week, we've had really beautiful weather, and the boys and I have been outside every day, soaking up the warmth before it turns cold this weekend. We carved our pumpkin this week, and I really wanted to find a good recipe for roasting the pumpkin seeds. I happened upon this one on Laura's blog. We tried the ranch flavor and they were YUMMY!

Last night we had movie night. I ate way too much popcorn and candy. Ummm, and so did the boys. They were wired, and stayed awake way past their bedtime. But we had a fun evening together, and I love watching them have fun. So it was totally worth it. 

I love all things pumpkin, so I've been looking for some new recipes to try. This one is on the list. For sure. 

Scott's cousin surprised us one evening this week with a visit and a gift of pumpkin cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting. I am not lying when I say they are THE BEST cupcakes I've ever had. Ever. Seriously. She blogged the recipe here. You must try it out if you are a fan of pumpkin. They are perfection. 

Linking up 

The Answer Is No

This morning on Twitter, Stephanie Howell posted a link that said, "won't you take the challenge and blog your heart?". I love this kind of thing, so I clicked over. She has started a monthly challenge to others to blog from the heart, to be authentic and real. This appeals to me, because my favorite bloggers are ones who speak honesty and truth. To be perfectly honest, I shy away from people who paint life as being lovely and perfect and wonderful all the time, because that's just not reality. I don't mean that I like negativity, I just like truth. So today, I am taking Stephanie's challenge, and blogging my heart.

I am learning to say "no". If it isn't good for my family, if it doesn't benefit my children, if the relationship is not life giving, if it won't leave us better off than when we started...the answer is no. I told my husband today that I am tired of saying yes to things in order to keep the peace. I want our lives to be rich and full and happy. I want my children to have memories of good times together, happy times. Not times of strife, turmoil and busy-ness (is that a word?), rushing from place to place because Mommy over committed. 

I am still learning. It's not easy. I hate saying no, I really do. I'm bad to over commit. To say yes because I don't want to hurt someone's feelings. But I have to stop. It has to stop. 

So I am trying, really hard, to be intentional about what I say yes to. To work hard at building stronger relationships with people who truly love & care about us, rather than trying to appease everyone. To ask myself the questions from above, is it beneficial, is it life giving, will it leave us better off? 

If not, the answer is no. 

Much Needed

We spent Saturday alone. Just the four of us. We bought apples for pie, ate a picnic by the lake, took a walk in the woods, enjoyed the sunshine and the beautiful Fall colors. A day with my family, my three boys. Just us. Enjoying each other. It was much needed, and much appreciated.

Pull Up A Seat...

...and grab a pillow.

New in the shop. 12x16 pillow covers.

True Friendship

We have truly wonderful friends. Friends who love us, who love our children, who would do anything for us. Friends we can laugh with, cry with, and celebrate with. Sometimes I take for granted just how wonderful our friends really are. This past weekend gave me a fresh reminder of how blessed we are to have the group of friends that we have. 

My good friend Lindsay and her family drove 9 hours to see us. NINE hours. If that's not true friendship, I don't know what is. Four adults and four little boys (ages four and under) in one house for the weekend. I'm telling you, we had some crazy fun. 

While they were here, we got to meet up with some other bloggers/crafty girls for coffee. I love these girls. We had such a great time, talking and laughing and sharing stories. 

Andrea, Kelly, me, Melissa, Lindsay & Christa 

Monday was my husband's 30th birthday. On Saturday night we threw him a surprise party. Two of his friends took him off for the afternoon....and brought him back with his face painted like a pirate. Knowing he would be coming home to a house full of people, they bet him to get his entire face painted. I have to say, it made the party a bit more fun :) 

(I had his permission to post this picture)

We spent the evening with a house full of great friends, eating, talking, laughing, gift giving, coffee drinking. 

Just being together, enjoying each others company, enjoying true friendship. 

I'm linking up

Fall Recipe Link Up

Chili is a favorite Fall/Winter meal around this house. When the weather cools off, there is just something wonderful about a big, hearty bowl of chili. My MIL shared her recipe with me a few years ago, and I have adjusted it just a bit to suit our taste.

Source

1 large can of light red kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans (drained)
2 cans stewed tomatoes (chopped)
2 cans tomato sauce
1 medium onion (chopped finely)
1 lb. ground beef
Chili powder, to taste

I throw all of the beans, tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes & onion in the pot first, on low heat. Let it simmer for about 30 minutes, and then brown & add the ground beef, and chili powder. I never measure out the chili powder. I just sprinkle some in and taste, and then add more if I need to. Let simmer for another 30 minutes or so.
I serve ours with grated cheese, Ritz crackers and homemade guacamole.

I'm linking up with Caroline for the Fall Recipe Link Up.

Randomness on a Friday

Last weekend Scott & I went on a little getaway. We stayed at a cute little cabin in the mountains. It was FREEZING, but we still had a wonderful time. We had to change our plans up a little because of the cold weather, but we didn't care. It was just nice to be alone :)
We spent a good part of the day on Saturday walking around Abingdon, VA, browsing the antique stores.

I have been looking for a cabinet to put in my sewing room, something to keep my fabrics and some supplies in. We found the one pictured above in the back room of one of the antique stores. It was EXACTLY what I had in mind. I love it so much. I can't wait to go back and pick it up. And that lovely sewing machine above...I'm determined to make her mine as well. If she's still there when we go back, that is. 

This creepy lady scared me. Twice. 

Every other week I get together with some good friends of mine for craft night. We usually just bring whatever we are working on, but this week we decided to make banners, inspired by this tutorial. I love the way they all turned out. Also, we do not craft in Amy's bathroom :) This is the third floor of her house, and it's kind of like a loft space. 

Grayson got his first haircut this week. His sweet little curls are gone, which makes me really sad, but he needed it cut so badly. He looks like such a big boy now. 

I hope each of you has a wonderful weekend! Any big plans?

Linking up.

We Are Thankful For...

"Do you know what it means to be thankful?" I asked. Jackson shook his head no and continued dressing up as a knight. I continued, "Well, it means that we are happy for things. That we appreciate having things. For instance, I am thankful for you, and your brother, and for your Daddy. I'm thankful that I get to stay at home with you guys".
It was the best way I knew to explain to a 4 year old and a 2 1/2 year old what it means to be thankful.

Thankfulness is something I want to instill in my children. And to be perfectly honest, it's something that I need to work on myself.
Every day we are going to name one thing we are thankful for. I will write it down, and it will go in this jar. On Thanksgiving Day we will read them all aloud, and remember all the little (and big) things we have to be thankful for. And then, we will start filling up the jar again.

I asked the boys what they were thankful for, hoping they had grasped the concept, if only just a little bit. After some thought, Grayson said he was happy to have his movies, and Jackson said he was thankful for his "fireman" rain boots. And me...I'm thankful for two amazing little boys that I have the honor of raising.