San Francisco

Hello from the friendly skies!! Which come to think if it are not so friendly anymore.  I am on my way back to see my three loves!!!!! I can hardly wait.  Oh my goodness my heart is brimming full!  My family planned a very special trip this past week to San Francisco to celebrate my mom turning 60, and their 40th wedding anniversary. It's hard to believe. As time passes, we grow and change and the times together then become even that much more precious and fragile. Having so many beautiful people in my life overwhelms me sometimes. I guess it inspires me to want to spread it though. Gratefulness spills out of me to our great God for this very unique once in a lifetime trip to such a beautiful place. 

So I will let these pictures somewhat speak for themselves....each day we are given is a gift.  Spend it wisely, share love, and never forget how precious life is!

Gorgeous weather...

The most giving, beautiful couple, so deserving and selfless....Cheers to their LOVE!!!!

Is this a dream??  Oh how I LOVE them

A million laughs....

Never enough time with the beautiful one and only...Kara Ann..

Perfection!

Thanks for the shades Shelly and Kara...keepin it classy!  

Napa ..

Lombard...

Napa market!! 

Sausalito, CA

Unforgettable...

Kids Thanksgiving Table

I love the idea of a kids table during Thanksgiving!  Growing up, there was always lots if us kids and having our own table made us feel special.  Even though it's just the twins this year, they have each other! I found this GREAT paper tablecloth at Target for them to keep themselves busy while I'm in the kitchen. It's huge so I cut it in three sections so they'll have a fresh one to color each day this week. Put on some children's holiday music and you will be feeling in the spirit in no time!

Pajamas required!

Happy happy happy Thanksgiving week!

Fresh and Thankful!

With all the heaviness and rich foods that come creaping in this season...I love to have a big display of fresh clementines available to grab. They are one of the prettiest fruits to me and a great way to get in some extra Vitamin C that we all need this time of year!

Is your menu finalized?!!! Turkey hats made? Stretchy denim jeans clean???!........

Our Thanksgiving table will be simple and traditional with a few added new flavors. Josh requested cookies and gravy! Ha! Simple enough. I found Ina's gravy recipe that I think sounds wonderful!  I hope he approves. I am also trying a new salad to add a lightness to all the heavy sides. And don't you love the idea of mini pies? It just makes sense and they're so cute to look at.

I hope you enjoy this week and just slow down!  Not everything has to be perfect...in fact, it's so much better when it's not!  And from a lovely sermon from our pastor this morning from 2 Corinthians 9: 6-15 reminds us that we have enough of everything! Be thankful and realize what you have been given is enough. A wonderful reminder to start the season...

May God be at your table this Thanksgiving!

Salted Caramel Pie {It's almost TURKEY DAY!}

What can I say?

I really like pies.

Here's one for your Turkey day table! Mine is in the oven right now..as we are having some sweet guests over for supper {a friend who is expecting nearly any day} and I hope she loves this pie!

Follow this simple recipe.... Salted Caramel Pie

                                                                     LIFE.IS.SWEET.

                 

Holiday sneak peak...

Standing at the base of the Grand Teton!

It's that wonderful time of year!!!  Enjoy the "little" moments this season!  The heart of a child :)

The blanket..

It's just days when I find that blue elephant blanket laying there...and I miss them to.the.moon.and.back.

Today it will reach 60 degrees here in Wyoming! Praising Him in ALL things!

S'mores Pie Love <3

Today's post is a pie! Yes, pies can be overrated this time of year in my opinion bc there's so many other great things to make. But not this one! You just need to take my word on this and make it....BUT....you have to use my recipe. All recipes are not created equal and this is no exemption. You can google this pie, and find a million recipes, but use mine.  The secret to every goreat pie is ALWAYS in the C.R.U.S.T.

For the pie filling and marshmallows I used this recipe...

http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/smores-pie/

For the crust....

1 sleeve graham crackers (hand crushed then press out with fork)

1/2 stick butter

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1tablespon sugar

Melt butter in pie dish in microwave. 

Add spices and sugar, then crush and mix graham crackers into butter with hands.  Bake at 350 for 12 minutes. 

Now try not to eat the entire pie in one sitting!!  

I hope you make it and get some pie LOVE like us!!

Winterize..says Martha

Last weekend we winterized. Pulled out the garden and tilled, raked leaves, etc etc... This was an all day affair if you do it right! Did you know you're supposed to clean out your terra-cotta pots every year? If you don't, this is why they crack. I googled winterizing a garden, and Martha gave me a list WAY too long!!!

The Aspen leaves about to fall..

 A new chalkboard always..

Grace upon Grace...my favorite way to think about Gods love.

A sweet little girl enjoying a Fall day in Jackson Hole..

Oh the COLOR!!!

We break for Buffalo.... :)

Winterizing takes time, but come spring I bet there's a lot less work!  And it's a great way to get outside and enjoy a Fall family day, complete with plenty of leaf pile jumping!!!

His FULLness!

"In Him are hidden, all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge"

As a follower of Christ, we are given a deep desire to be better, more, faithful, to be FULL of Christ. 

I realize as the years pass, that we will never get to experience the fullness of Christ if we are looking to ourselves.  We cannot possibly experience His fullness when our mind is centered on ourselves when worshiping Him.  Perhaps we can find glimpses of His love, but I want to see ALL of what God has for me...to be used completely for his Kingdom.  It has to be completely about HIM.  After all, as Christians, isn't that what we believe?  Isn't that why we are to take up His cross and follow Him?  

The “fullness of God” is experienced, Paul says, as we are given the “strength to comprehend” the love of Christ in its height and depth and length and breadth—that is, in its fullness.  The fullness of God is the spiritual apprehension (experience) of the fullness of the love of Christ. This love is the grace and truth that fills the Son of God and pours out on us.

THese photos we took over the weekend in Jackson Hole....a special place.
I cannot look at these pictures without being completely engulfed in God's grace.  To be "in" these places of wonder and beauty and to get to experience them with my little family is so humbling, and is constantly developing a spirit of deeper thankfulness in me that I don't ever want to give up.
Moving out here we gave up a lot, foregoing comfort, convenience, friends, family, familiarity.  But, oh...oh what we would have missed.   How we must follow His fullness to see the blessings!!!!!  By listening to God's voice and sensing His tender Spirit, we can find the wonderful FULLNESS in Him that is Grace upon Grace...upon Grace...upon Grace.....


HE IS OUR GREAT REWARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope you have a WONDERFUL weekend!!!!!!!!  

Up and down week!

This has been on crazy week! Fevers and colds all week, amidst a little bit if fun mid week on our first field trip!  Their class went out to a pumpkin patch, petting zoo and corn maze.  Those places are not my idea of fun! But you know I was all up in it with a smile for my kids! They had a great time and really made for a fun week despite the colds.  Still not in the clear with Mr. Luke, but we are hoping by tomorrow he will be feeling himself again!

Selfishly, I ATE up the special days with my kids one on one. They stayed home separately two different days. Here's a few if their classmates. Luke is blurry. He has a mad crush in the little girl in the back with a pink coat. :) SO cute and I think he must be looking at her...haha!

Gillian, Isabel, and Jameson bouncing away!!

Mark and Isabel wanted their picture with the HUGE bunny!

There's my Lukey!  Loving life!!

And one of today, at home with Mom! Sweeeeeet sweeeet boy!!!!!

That's our week! 

Happy FRIDAY!!!!!!

Snow Apocalypse 2013!

16 inches of SNOW SO WHITE!

An instant playground created from heaven....

Snow is fun to eat!!

Sweetest snow angels.....

This is our back patio.....

You cannot capture this beauty from a camera.  The experience of waking up to 12 inches of white, and then watching the thickest snow you can imagine...a sky of white...falling for 12 more hours is nothing but MAJESTIC.  Even though we complain about snow and the cold and wind....these kinds of snows make it all worth it.  It was such a blessing.  My little sweets didnt have to go to school, we got to stay home and drink hot chocolate, play with play-dough, bake cookies, read a thousand books by the fire, and just be together.  It was just what my Mom heart needed.  The only down side to this was the devastating damage that was done throughout our entire town to the trees.  We had 2 trees split in 2, and a thousand branches that broke.  Was that nature's way of ridding itself..i dont know..it's so interesting.  None of the leaves had really fallen yet, so the trees couldnt bear the weight of that amt of snow.  Such a lesson in that! I love lessons from nature.  Those trees lost a great deal of growth, but how will this pruning affect their future growth?  We can hold a great deal of weight inside of us, but sometimes those branches need to just give way, let go, and fall......fall away so that NEW, FRESH BEAUTY can grow!!!!

Today, this 10th day of October, the snow has completely melted, we can see those gorgeous fall trees again, and it looks like we might have a few more weeks of Fall.  God is SO good.  We even got to go pick out our pumpkins!!!!!!!!!!!  

We love and miss you, all our family and friends!!!!!!!!  

Hugs from Wyoming!