Life with Sickies

Well, just about everything shuts down here when my little guys are sick. Thankfully, they're just about back their old silly selves again - and just in time - we're on a mini vacation!

Thanksgiving was a great time spent as a family and then with friends for dinner. Great except for the fact that I totally forgot to make the mashed potatoes. Yes, you heard me. Our friends had arrived and I was just whisking up the gravy and I realized I hadn't even put the potatoes on to boil! No wonder I had felt like I had so much time.

Life Lesson: When you're hosting Thanksgiving Dinner and feeling super confident and relaxed - you've forgotten something.

Thankfully our friends came bearing tons of delicious sides and no one went home hungry. They did go home with the boys' cold though. :/

One of the things we love about living in a small town is the sense of community.
Last weekend our local high school football team was playing in the state championship! We went with and met up with a few other families from our church to cheer on the local boys.

And what a game it was!
They played well and it was pretty close the whole way through.

Ryder loved it.
Poor Lynden had a fever and just snuggled close.

We WON!

And we checked one more fun fall activity off of our to do list. 

Love having family time with my boys!

'Tis The Season For Fall Fun!

 The trees may not have colourful leaves but we're well into Fall now. We set aside a little family time this last week, after Braden being out of town for a week - to go the to corn maze at a local farm.

Of course, we had to dress the part, Lynden included.

Ryder's got a plaid shirt on under there somewhere!

Sometimes I can't believe just how blessed I am in this beautiful family. <3

It wasn't long until we were walking in the dark. 

Ryder loved to be in charge of the flashlight.

And before long we were each carrying a baby.

 What a fun night!

Local friends, be sure to check out the corn maze at Lattin Farms! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well, we didn't quite make a feast out of Canadian Thanksgiving this year, but we were thankful!

What we did do was spend some time together (got to love nap time!) to make a few pies from scratch crust to caramel sauce. These baking (or cooking) dates are some of my favourites!

The Pioneer Woman's Scrumptious Apple Pie is our favourite fruit pie recipe. Pumpkin is a Thanksgiving must-have and we filled the buttery crusts with some pretty yummy ingredients. The apple pie was topped with chopped streusel, chopped pecans, and this decadent caramel sauce. Thanks  Pioneer Woman!

It was fun to have a couple of friends over in the evening to help us enjoy these sweet treats.

And as a result of our pie making date, I've not had to make myself breakfast for the last two days. 

My reasoning is simple:

Vegetable - pumpkin

Dairy - half & half, butter

Protein - eggs

Carbs - flour crust

Breakfast of Champions.

Enough Said.

While Thanksgiving is a great time to enjoy my family and eat some delicious food, there's a much greater reason to celebrate. 

God's greatest gift to us is Jesus Christ. 

Without Him we are hopeless.

In Him we find joy unspeakable.

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving

Family & Friends!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a great first Thanksgiving in Fallon. It was SO nice to have Braden home this year - believe it or not, this is our first Thanksgiving together at home since being married!

The day began with a family oriented football game with a lot of friends from church. Ryder and I cheered while drinking homemade mochas from the sidelines.

Representing Daddy's Team

Excited to find a new 'hat.'

After a quick game of Monopoly, we barely had time to make a big batch of stuffing (I highly recommend this recipe from Food Network - minus the mushrooms :) before heading out the door to enjoy a delicious feast with friends in town. I don't think I've ever seen so many delicious and beautiful homemade pies in one place at the same time.

But all of this was just icing on the cake. Braden and I could not begin to count our many blessings. God has and continues to provide for us in ways that meet out needs and exceed our expectations. Our greatest blessing is that 'inexpressible gift' provided to meet our greatest need - a Savior. If you haven't yet received this gift, it's not yet too late. As we move into the Christmas season, take a moment to read the Christmas story found in Luke 2. Set the business of this time of year aside and focus on the truths behind your celebration - let it bring you joy and hope in the coming days.

And of course, Stingy had to tag along on our outing as well.

Increased Awareness

Tuesday began just like any other morning, except that Braden didn't have to leave before the sun. To celebrate a more relaxed departure (0800) we enjoyed a sit-down breakfast of coffee, pumpkin waffles, and pumpkin yogurt. I've included the link to our new favourite Fall waffle recipe, because it's definitely a keeper (and VERY simple) and the yogurt was just a homemade concoction of plain yogurt, pumpkin puree, almond butter, honey, and pumpkin pie spice.  Mmmm....

Ryder enjoys licking the yogurt spatula!

What began as a lack of motivation (it just seemed like a lot of work to get myself and Ryder dressed, drive to the gym, work out, drive home, shower, etc.) instead inspired a great morning road run. They've been a little more difficult to fit in because of dropping temperatures, but Ryder bundled up and we were both happy to get some fresh air and save the time it would have taken to get out the door and to the gym on base.

Here's my little bundled boy. <3

While I was showering and getting ready for the day (story time at the library this morning), Ryder decided he would help himself to a snack from the pantry. As you can see, we're huge Annie's fans!

"Dixie Did It!" Isn't going to work this time...

Learning to clean up after his messes.

But none of those routine events could eclipse the highlight of our morning. Ryder was standing by the front door just waiting for me to lace up my running shoes, when he noticed a picture of Braden with his 3 siblings - taken probably at least 5 years ago - and said, "Daddy."  It happened again at lunch time while I was buckling him into his highchair. "Daddy" he said as he pointed to a small 4x6 of he and Braden taken the day Braden deployed last year. Then once more at nap time as I was tucking him into bed and arranging all his little creatures - "DADDY" he exclaimed and pointed to a canvas family photo I had made for the nursery while Braden was deployed.  <3

Ryder sees, "Daddy!"

It's obvious who the favourite is!  ;)  But even greater than that, it's so exciting to see Ryder making sense of the world around him and developing increased awareness of his surroundings.

The excitement of my child noticing evidence of his Daddy located all around the house made me stop and think (this is the time of year to be thankful, after all) about how well I take the time to notice evidences of my Heavenly Father all around me. God has blessed me and our little family in countless ways and I need to be looking for them and expressing praise and gratitude to Him for them.

Enjoying a reflective day of thankfulness,
Jayne :)

A Taste of the Season

Every once in a while, generally as the need arises or I find that I have some extra time on my hands, I'll try/make up a new recipe or DIY project.  My latest attempt (and this time a success!) was born out of necessity.  After 2 years, we finally used the last of our delicious Williams Sonoma mulling spices - and apple cider season is far from over!

Necessity is the mother of invention. -Plato

Hoping to avoid a trip out to the grocery store, I made my first homemade batch with what we already had on hand - and it was perfect!  Husband approved as well. :)

I began by peeling a whole navel orange - preferable organic, since you'll be using the skin. You want the rind (orange) as well as the pith (white), so don't use a microplane zester or grater. Dice the peel up into little pieces, and then spread it on a baking sheet to dehydrate in the oven at 200 for about an hour. (As an added bonus, your kitchen will smell divine!)

Orange peel diced and ready to go in the oven.

Meanwhile, I set aside approximately equal parts of whole cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom pods.

To break the whole cinnamon sticks, I wrapped them in wax paper and crushed them with my marble rolling pin. A heavy skillet or the flat side of a meat tenderizer would work as well.

Crushing the cinnamon sticks.

If I had allspice, I would have included that in the mix, but like I said, I was using up what was available.

For my batch, each spice measured approximately 1/4 cup.

Once the orange peel is cool, combine and mix all 4 ingredients. Store in an airtight container.

This should last us the rest of the fall!

I'd recommend using anywhere between a teaspoon to tablespoon per cup of apple juice depending on your particular taste. I put 2 Tbsp in a spice infuser for our 2 cups and it had just the right amount of flavour and tartness. My favourite right now is this Trader Joe's organic unfiltered apple juice. 

Do you have a favourite fall recipe or tradition?  I'd love to hear about it or have you share a link below.

Cheers!
Jayne

Ryder builds his chicken tower while Mama is in the kitchen.
So thankful for his new-found independence. :)

Recipe:

Navel Orange - whole peel diced and dehydrated

1/4 cup Whole Cloves

2 Cinnamon Sticks

1/4 Whole Cardamom Pods

Optional - 1/4 cup Allspice Berries

Saturday Night Corn Maze Fun

Am I the only one who has never been to a corn maze before? After a week away on det, Braden returned home today!  What better way to enjoy our Saturday than with a loooong walk through towering corn stalks?

Getting Started

We had a blast. Ryder enjoyed sitting high up on Daddy's shoulders with a running commentary and fingers quick to point which direction he thought we should take. Braden was focused on getting us out before the tent with kettle corn shut down for the evening, and me - I just enjoyed being out in the fresh air, laughing and stumbling around in the dark with my family.

Ryder held the flashlight.

Next year we'll probably try to get out there a little earlier. We were racing the sun and lost miserably, though a flashlight added spooky ambience to our adventure. Hopefully Ryder's walking by next year too ;)

Sure is nice to have this guy home again!

DIY Thanksgiving Pennant

Yesterday I told you that I had a little project up my sleeve.  Well, it's done, but I'm not overly pleased with the finished product. 

It all started with Pinterest.  About a week ago, I came across a DIY tutorial that looked sweet and simple - a great way to add a seasonal touch to our new (to us) home that still feels a little impersonal. Have I mentioned that I L.O.V.E. burlap?  I do. I just love everything about it - except for the mess it makes when you cut it, haha!

The step by step instructions were great. It truly was a simple project and took less than an hour to put together with very minimal cost (depending on what you already have on hand) - about $5. 

The problem is, that our living is boring.  All the walls are beige and the moulding is white. My piano is brown.  Even our couches are very neutral - the old house we sold had beautiful rich green textured walls with coved contrasting ceilings.  Sigh... I'm missing the little red house now.

Here's what the brown on brown pennant looked like as it hung in a white mantle in front of brown walls.  Like I said - B.O.R.I.N.G!

So then today I but up a few pieces of fall-colored scrap quilting fabric I had stored away. Hmmm, a little better, I think.  But it still needs something...

Maybe some gold leaves or polka dots stencilled around the letters?  I need help, what do you suggest?

On the bright side, the banner is reversible and I plan to paint (in red, this time) 'BE MERRY' and turn it into a Christmas pennant once American Thanksgiving is over. I've still got some time to figure that one out, I guess. 

There you have it.  A bit of a dud, but what I've been up to nonetheless. :)

Happy (Canadian) Thanksgiving!

Today we celebrate one of my favourite holidays (after Christmas, of course). Normally Thanksgiving is accompanied by a heavily laden table with delicious dishes, but this year for the first time since becoming a US resident, I'll have to celebrate without turkey.  It just didn't fit into our family schedule.

But that's ok, we found a few creative ways to make the day special - and when you really think about it, this day isn't all about food anyway, right?

https://img0.etsystatic.com/000/0/5264502/il_570xN.178886360.jpg

And so we started our day as we do most days, with breakfast (only today we got to enjoy a leisurely breakfast with Braden before he had to head off to work!), clean-up, a road run, shower, and then we were off to run some errands.

Thankful for a beautiful hay field on our drive this morning.

I have a Thanksgiving DIY project on my mind, so we picked up the necessary supplies for that, had a great time at the library choosing new story books for Ryder, even found a few small Christmas gifts (not made in China, which can be a challenge) to send to Ryder's cousins, and finally we ended up at Starbucks where Ryder and I had a great little date savouring pumpkin spice lattes and sharing a thick slice of pumpkin loaf. Mmmmm....

Looking forward to getting to my little holiday craft while Ryder is still sleeping.
Check back, I'll be posting pictures once it's complete.

Thankfully,
Jayne