My Top Ten List of Guilty Autumn Pleasures

OK, so I'm doing another list. Hey, they're easy, and fun! So if you're reading this, and you've got your own blog, make one of your own! Drop me a note so I can come read yours, too.

So here they are, in no particular order...

1. I can get out the flannel sheets.
   
2. Apple pie, apple crisp, fresh apple cider...
3. Frost on the pumpkins, and the crisp, clear air.
4. Pumpkin seeds!!!!!
5. I have an excuse to make all those wonderfully tasting, not-so-good-for-you comfort foods - pot pie, chili, chicken curry, lasagne...  It's a long list, and I love to eat... *grin*
6. Hot Chocolate, Chai, and Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte.
7. Cuddling on the couch while watching Sunday afternoon football.
8. I can get out my sweater collection!
9. The smell of fallen leaves.
10. Fuzzy socks!!!!!!!
    

So grab a cup of something warm, and snuggle up with your sweetie.  And Happy Fall!!!!

Wordless Wednesday... Pie, Anyone????

Fresh peach, from our tree...






And a bonus - Hannah - "I got into this chair all by myself!"

Doin' a Few Shout Outs Today...

First, I want to give a well-deserved Shout Out to my brother, Jon, who ran his first marathon yesterday.  He finished the Chicago Marathon in 5 hours, 4 minutes, and 51 seconds.  Since I will never run a marathon,  I find his drive and determination impressive.  Actually, it's way more than impressive.  His team also raised over $300,000 for Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago.  WAY TO GO, Jon!!!!!!!

Next, to my friend Laura, for sharing this yummy recipe for Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins.  To. Die. For.  *drool*   If you've ever had Starbucks' version, these are just as good.  Only cheaper.  Which is also good.  No, better.  I think the next time I make them, I'll add nuts to the streusel topping, though. Pecans, or walnuts.  Not sure which...  I love nuts...  I also used one can of pumpkin, which is slightly less than the 2 c that is called for, and they still came out wonderful.  I am thinking that these will be on the menu for Thanksgiving morning...

And lastly, to my DH, Brian, for finally starting his very own blog.   Several people have been working on him for the better part of a year to test the waters in the blogosphere, since everyone loves his writing.  His blog consists mostly, of his messages from the church's weekly newsletter, but he occasionally posts a little something extra.  His recent post on the current economic mess as viewed in a Biblical light is quite interesting and enlightening.  And I did manage to convince him to post an actual pic of himself, and not his level 70 Dwarf Priest character from WoW... *sigh*

See, honey - I *do* update my blog!  Really!!!!!

15 Things I'd Like To Do, Someday

**stolen from Lori**

A random list...

~ Own a convertible (again)

~ Live in Britain

~ Ride RAGBRAI river to river

~ Have a waterbirth at home

~ Learn to sew, knit and/or crochet

~ Buy a designer pair of jeans have have them look HOT

~ Go skydiving

~ End hunger and poverty worldwide

~ Get all my electricity off the grid (solar, wind, etc)

~ Open a pastry shoppe

~ Go on an archaeological dig in England

~ Learn to take really good photos of my kids

~ Write a  book

~ Get LASIK

~ Travel in Asia again 

~ Own a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle

Some of these are realistic - some are not.  Random, like I said.  But I'm in a random mood this evening. *grin*  And I'm trying to have a bit more fun with this blogging thing.  :-)

So enjoy!  And feel free to create your own list...

First Words, First Steps

The last few weeks have been momentous ones in the short life of Miss Hannah. We have celebrated her Baptism, watched her progress from those first tentative steps to toddling across the family room, and heard her utter her first words. She actually started walking last month, just shy of 9 months. But she's gotten to the point of almost running this week - at 9 1/2 months. Early, yes. But she's got a whole lot to keep up with, and she does her best. She gets all kinds of encouragement from the older kids.

And her first words... She was experimenting with mimicking this summer - night-night, mama, dada, etc. But she now has several real words - du ~ duck, which means both "duck" and "bath" - one of her favorite activities, and voof ~ which applies to any and all furry animals. Odd, b/c we don't have dogs, just 2 cats. Still, everything is a "voof." Oh - I almost forgot one more - MMMMMMM ~ food, said particularly when she notices someone eating real food, and she decides that she wants some, too. She also uses this sometimes when she wants to nurse, but usually, her cues for that involve either a head-butt to my boobs or whimpering.

She signs, too - all done, please, and more... But I really need to be teaching her some other ones. She picks them up so quickly, and it's fun to communicate with her.

And just because I can (or more accurately, to see if I can), I'm including a video of Hannah's first attempts at walking. This was from a couple of weeks ago - around the last week of September. Excuse the fact that it's sideways. I couldn't figure out how to rotate it. I'm just beginning to shoot some video with my camera, and I haven't gotten to the editing part...



Thanks for indulging me!

Wordless Wednesday

My oldest and youngest - Confirmation and Baptism...One joining the family of Christ, and the other maturing into adulthood. God is good...

The Latest on the Nathan Front

Had another appointment today.  This time, with the oral surgeon.  It went VERY well.  Better than we'd dared to hope.  Things are healing nicely, and we don't have to go back for a whole YEAR!!!!!  Yes, that's me dancing.  There is a chance, albeit small (12-15%), that the growth plate was injured, but they have to watch that over time.  He is still on a soft-chew diet for another 3 weeks, but it's his teeth, and not his jaw, that will determine his diet from here on out.

We go back to the endodontist and pediatric dentist next Friday, to check his teeth.  He had to have 2 root canals (on the two teeth that fell out) at the last appt (2 weeks ago), and they re-splinted the top teeth.  So we go back to do more films, remove the splint, and check to see how everything is healing, and to see if he needs any more root canals.  The upshot is that the top 4 and bottom 4 front teeth are shot, and will all need to be replaced, eventually.  They are watching carefully to do what they can to save the teeth, and to extend their life until he's done growing, and can have permanent reconstructive work done.

All things considered, he's still a very lucky kid.

Oh - and amidst all of this, he got himself elected Lower School Student Council VP.  By 3 votes.  He's become quite the celebrity...

And, now that we've (hopefully) gotten the worst of this behind us, I'll actually have time and energy to post about the rest of my life.  Wait... I have a life??????  Let me get back to you on that one...