Welcome, Autumn!

My favorite season has arrived!

Yippee!!

I love autumn and all the

beautiful colors that

the Lord paints in our world...

Happy Wednesday!

I just wanted to share a few pictures of some favorite fall things...

~beautiful sunflowers~

~in the colonial city of Williamsburg~

~pumpkin roll~

For my Sister-in-Law

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEV!

Just wanted to let you know how special you are to our family...

we love you and hope that you have had a great birthday today!

Autumn Favorites

Since Autumn is right around the corner, I thought I would share some of my favorite things...and some pictures from last fall. :)

~ the leaves changing color (and there are some that are turning already!
~ cooler temperatures
~ lower humidity (YES!!!)
~ lightweight jackets
~ sitting on the deck with my Hubbie

~ my autumn decorations

~ pumpkins

~ birthday of our youngest

~ hayrides

~ field trips to the farm

~ mums on my porch

~ watching our older kids play in the leaves that they just raked into a big pile :)

~ the color brown

~ our missions conference at church

~ autumn tablecloth on the kitchen table

~ some fun autumn paper products I found at Costco the other day

~ sunflowers (but if you know me very well, I like these any time of year!)

~ candy corn

~ "Harvest" candle from Yankee Candle~have you tried that one?

~ walking around a historic town nearby

~our cutie pies~

~the view from our deck~

~pretty pansies~

~pumpkin chocolate bars~

~fall birthday girl~

Have a great Wednesday!

Summer Flowers

These plants are in our front flower beds. I was first introduced to "Vinca" a few years ago. They are hardy and withstand the summer heat (so much better than impatiens). In fact, we rarely purchase any other kind of plant for our flower beds...These flowers are pretty right now, but they will soon be gone...

and the flower beds will be ready for fall planting.

As I look at these beauties, I'm reminded of the following verse:

Isaiah 40:8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth:

but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

Have a great Wednesday!

First Day of School~2010

For Monday, August 30, 2010~

Outside my window~

the temperatures are climbing back into the 90's today

I am hearing~

"D" sweeping under the kitchen table

I am thinking~

about my sweet Hubbie

I am thankful~

for the Bible and for good preaching

I am remembering~

some of my first days of school...

as a student and as a teacher

I am reading~

Do You Mind if Your Kids Don't

by Dr. Bill Rice, III

I am hoping~

our school year continues well...

we started great today! :)

On my mind~

is Amanda

From the learning rooms~

"R" has started 5th grade

"D" has started K5

"S" is having fun playing

Noticing that~

the house is slowly getting more organized

(I love that!)

I am praying~

for my niece, Anna, who started college this past Thursday

I am creating~

some sweet memories with my children

Pondering these words~

(emphasis mine)

Ephesians 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in

him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy

 and without blame before him in love:

From the kitchen~

Monday~spaghetti and salad

Tuesday~chicken enchiladas

Wednesday~ham sandwiches

Thursday~baked mostaccioli (new recipe)

Friday~out to eat

Saturday~tba

Around the house~

school is getting "done" for today

laundry is getting washed

One of my favorite things~

is seeing my children make good choices

A few plans for the rest of the week~

church, school, grocery shopping, ironing,

preparing for a Bible study

From my picture journal~

~"R" getting started on her day~

~"D" working on phonics~

~can you find "S"?~

Pineapple Boat

Last week, I shared some pictures of this yummy fruit salad. Thank you for your sweet comments about the presentation. It really did taste yummy, although I wasn't a huge fan of the sauce. Personally, I think it needed to be just a little sweeter.

FYI~in case you don't know (like me!) see how green my pineapple was? It was pretty easy to cut right around the edges, but the closer I got to the middle, it was hard! I had to enlist the help of my Sweetie to get the pineapple out of the shell. So, Hubbie and I figured out that a ripe pineapple looks golden on the outside...NOT GREEN!  :)

If you want to try this recipe from Taste of Home, it really is easy. It is perfect for your last summer gathering...

Fruit Salad in a Pineapple Boat

1 fresh pineapple

2 cups cubed cantaloupe

1 cup halved fresh strawberries

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 Tablespoon lime juice (I used two fresh limes for the juice since I needed lime peel for the sauce)

Sauce:

1 cup fresh strawberries, mashed

1 cup (8 ounces) reduced-fat plain yogurt

2 Tablespoons honey

1 Tablespoon lime juice

1 1/2 teaspoons grated lime peel

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Stand pineapple upright; vertically cut about a third from one side, leaving the top attached. Remove fruit and discard outer peel from the smaller section. Remove fruit from the large section, leaving a 1/2 inch shell.

Chop pineapple (or use a melon baller); place in a large bowl. Add the cantaloupe, strawberries, blueberries and lime juice; toss to coat. Place in pineapple shell.

In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients. Serve with fruit.

Daybook~8/23

~for Monday, August 23, 2010~

Outside my window...

the sun is shining brightly, and currently, it is 81 degrees

I am hearing...

the A/C, the washing machine, and the kids

I am thinking...

about the blessing of having a family

I am thankful...

for a great Hubbie, and

for a great church and a pastor who

preaches the Word. He has been preaching some

very inspiring and challenging messages lately.

I am remembering...

times spent at my grandparent's farm in West Virginia...

good times, good memories, and always good food

I am reading...

Do You Mind if Your Kids Don't by Dr. Bill Rice, III

I am hoping...

that the beginning of school goes smoothly

On my mind...

is a sweet friend who is returning to the classroom

this year, and her in-service started today

From the learning rooms...

school plans are coming along

I am creating...

school schedules

Noticing that...

the calmer I am, the calmer the household  :)

From the kitchen...

bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches this morning

BBQ for lunch

spaghetti, cheeseburgers, and steak planned for dinner this week

Around the house...

some organization is underway

(boy, do I love an organized house!)

One of my favorite things...

is spending time with my Hubbie

(I probably say that often, but he is my best friend

and we enjoy each other's company!)

A few plans for the rest of the week...

family time, ladies meeting, lunch out, shopping, :)

swim lessons through Thursday

Hubbie has a day off this week

Bible Bee

I am praying...

for my friend, Amanda, and her twins who were born last Monday

one baby was 3 pounds 4 ounces

one baby was 1 pound 12 ounces

From my picture journal...

~some recent church family fun~

~the track~

all computerized...pretty cool

~"R's" ark floating on the water~

~"D's" tow truck~

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you have a great Monday!

Recently

I was recently attending a birthday celebration of a friend and everyone that attended brought a salad and dessert. I found this fun-looking dish in the latest edition of Taste of Home. It was fairly easy and turned out very pretty. My only change would be to make sure the pineapple is ripe! :)

(not that I would know anything about that...ha ha!)

~the inspiration~

~getting started~

~the presentation~

~a quick card (from scrapbook paper) for a bridal shower~

I enjoy making things from what I already have...

and this card was from leftover paper from another project...

Thanks for stopping by today~I appreciate your visits!

Spoiled or Blessed?

Happy Tuesday to all of you, my blogging friends! Summer is almost gone, and I haven't really posted that much, but I wanted to share a sweet little something with you.

Yesterday, I had some plans that took me away from the house for most of the day. Monday is typically my day to do the laundry. Imagine my surprise when I walked through the door and smelled freshness!

My sweet, hard-working Hubbie had done every piece of dirty laundry, had folded it, and put away most of it! Am I spoiled or blessed?

I think both! :)

Thank you, Hubbie, for helping me yesterday...I love you!

This Doesn't Last Long~

If you like chocolate and peanut butter,
here's a recipe for some sugar-free yumminess...

it doesn't last long around here...

or anywhere I take it...

ENJOY!

Four Layer Chocolate Pie

I combined two recipes to make this, so technically, I guess the recipe could be called:

Donna's 4-Layer Chocolate Pie

Layer 1:

1/2 cup chunky peanut butter

1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 24 squares)

1/2 cup sugar (I used Splenda)

In a bowl, combine peanut butter and butter. Stir in cracker crumbs and sugar; mix well. Press into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan. I usually set my dish in the fridge to harden a little while I fix the next layer.

Layer 2:

1 block of cream cheese (8 ounces), light variety is fine

1 cup sugar (I used Splenda)

1 cup of whipped topping--of a large size (12 ounce) carton--save the rest for the last layer

Cream the sugar and cream cheese together until nice and smooth. Add whipped topping and mix well. Carefully spread this layer on the graham cracker crust. (I had to be very gentle so as not to disturb the bottom layer.)

Layer 3:

2 small boxes of instant sugar-free chocolate pudding

3 1/2 cups milk

Whip the pudding and milk until thick. Spread on cream cheese layer.

Layer 4:

whipped topping

Spread the remaining whipping topping on the pudding layer. Cover with foil and chill well before serving. 

Monday, Monday

~for Monday, August 2, 2010~

Outside my window~

is a beautiful sunny day

I am hearing~

the dishwasher

and

the chatter of family members

I am thinking~

about my sister...married 20 years tomorrow!

I am thankful~

that "R" made it home safely from church camp

and had a wonderful time

I am remembering~

the time spent with family this past weekend

I am reading~

none of my summer wish list

I am hoping~

that the cheesecake that is in the oven

turns out to be delicious!

On my mind~

is my Hubbie

I LOVE YOU!

Noticing that~

the lower my carb intake,

the better I feel!

From the learning rooms~

school planning...

Wondering~

if I will make my weight loss

goal by Christmas

I am creating~

a new blog post :)

From the kitchen~

is a strawberry cheesecake (low-carb)

Around the house~

we painted "D"s room, Hubbie

put trim around the windows, and now we're

 searching for navy blue bedding

One of my favorite things~

is children's laughter

A few plans for the rest of the week~

Swim lessons every day through Thursday

a wedding on Friday

I am praying~

that my brother and his family have a great vacation

From my picture journal~

sugar-free yumminess!

~I combined two recipes for this~

Okay, I'm hungry for something sweet now!

Have a wonderful day!

The Creation Museum~Part 2

Good morning! Thank you for stopping by! A few of you mentioned that you had never heard of The Creation Museum...Here are just a few quick facts:

• opened in 2007
• just southwest of Cincinnati, Ohio
• 70,000 square foot building
• Ken Ham, founder of Answers in Genesis, built the museum
• over 6,000 plants have been placed within the lake
• 500 different varieties of plants in the gardens
• visit the museum website for more information

As promised, here a few pictures of the nature trail and the petting zoo. Hubbie snapped over 400 pictures...but I won't put that many up here.   :)

~I am green at night~

~a suspension bridge~

(quite the experience!)

~view of the Creation Museum from the nature trail~

~Now to the Petting Zoo~

~alpacas~

~Mr. Camel gives rides~

did you notice that storm brewing?

~a zorse~

~Mr. Peacock would not open his beautiful wings!~

~Let's wash our hands, "D"~

Can you tell we had a great visit?

I don't think I have enough time

to tell you about:

Stargazer's Planetarium

Noah's Cafe

Dragon Hall Bookstore

Special Effects Theater

Dinosaur Den

Dragon Theater

and much, much more!

I do, however, have one more photo to show you.

~two of our favorite people at The Creation Museum~

Ken Ham, founder

and

the ice cream lady from Bruster's Ice Cream--Yummm!

The Creation Museum~Part 1

Today, I am so thankful that we had the opportunity to visit the Creation Museum. What an uplifting, inspiring, faith-affirming, God-honoring place! I honestly did not know what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised. It was so nice to go to a science museum and have the truth presented in such a beautiful way!

The entire museum is based on God's Word. Here are just a few pictures from our visit. The museum is in Petersburg, Kentucky, just southwest of Cincinnati, Ohio. We had a very nice visit, and hope to return there very soon!

~welcome to the Creation Museum~

~this guy was huge~

~inside the Museum~

~7 C's of Biblical History~

creation, corruption, catastrophe, confusion,

Christ, cross, consummation~

~part of the "Creation Walk"~

~building of the Ark~

(we learned some very interesting information here)

~dioramma~

~dinosaur tracks found here in the US~

Tomorrow, I'm planning to post pictures from the nature trail and the petting zoo!

Have a great Thursday!