Katie ran her first official 5K in Kingsport, TN on Thanksgiving Day along with 800 others including her dad. (How is that for a run-on sentence?)
She did great! She finished 314th over all and 15th in her age division. So proud of her! She is already planning her next 5K.
Her next one is in South Carolina and I am so glad. I did not love FREEZING!
If you are going to carve a pumpkin, you might as well use those seeds! This recipe is just too yummy.
Scoop seeds out of pumpkin. Wash thoroughly. Pat dry with paper towels. Don't leave them on the paper towels to dry completely. They'll stick! In a bowl coat seeds with butter and seasonings. Spread onto a baking sheet. Sprinkle with a dash of salt. I covered my baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up. Bake at 300 degrees for 45 - 60 min. Take them out when they are crunchy.
The delightful aroma is reason enough to make them. Heavenly!
It is getting to be that time of the year! I woke up today with one of our favorite fall Activities/Crafts on my mind. I've shared this before. Hope y'all don't mind a repeat. 
Originally posted fall '09:
...in a time lacking in truth and certainty and filled with anguish and despair, no woman should be shamefaced in attempting to give back to the world, through her work, a portion of its lost heart.
-Louise Bogan
I strive to create an atmosphere in our home that offers a place of privacy and safety. A place for learning and enrichment. A place of joy and memory making. A retreat from the cares of the world. A place of simple abundance.
One way that I love to create fun memories for my family is through traditions. Simple and frugal activities that bring joy to our family. Our children are growing up. Don't let anymore days pass without intentionally creating loving memories.
One of our fall memory making activities is leaf rubbing
Go on a nature walk. Find as many unique and gorgeous green leaves as you can! You can even make a little competition out of it if your kids enjoy that kind of thing. Once you are back home, place white paper on top of a leaf (green leaves work best as they aren't too dry and don't fall apart), skeleton side facing up. Instruct children to rub crayons gently over the paper. The shapes of the leaves with their patterns will become visible, creating unique and beautiful nature pictures.
I share this lesson on fall leaves with our children as we create.
What's your favorite memory making activity for fall?
P.S. Stayed tuned for a special project I have in mind for our leaf rubbings!
P.P.S. Do you ever post repeats on your blog? I've found myself doing that from time to time. Probably more for selfish reasons than anything. I've always enjoyed a good rerun. lol
The cooler evening air (by cooler I mean a pleasant 70s) has turned my mind to pumpkins and colorful leaves.
Fall is my favorite season. I've been checking out lots of "do it yourself" "won't break the budget" ideas for decorating.
Pine Cone and Twigs Centerpiece
Gallery of Outdoor Decorations
Make Your Own Fall Bouquet (Video)
And of course, I'm looking forward to our little traditions like frosting our pumpkins with glitter. The older kids make elaborate designs and the younger kids love being able to do it completely on their own.
It's not fall without our favorite recipes.
(Fall 2010, Southwest Virginia)
What's your favorite seasonal recipe?
November brings cold days and early evenings. Our thoughts are turning toward the Holidays, especially Thanksgiving. It is the one day a year we gather together to celebrate our blessings.
"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow."
-Melody Beattie
I'm abundantly blessed. I'm delighted to discover how content and hopeful I'm feeling, as I focus on abundance rather than lack. This sense of fulfillment is gratitude at work. The kind of thinking that transforms my dreams into reality!
Join me as we savor this season of gratitude. Each time we find our families assembled all together, let's pause a moment to count our blessings and give thanks.
(The view from our old neighborhood.)
(Clinch Mountains)
(Big Cedar Creek)
(View from Dad's back porch)
...with warm Cherry Crisp. Perfect for Saturday football.
Ultra close photo. Must be feeling farsighted.
Players try to stick the snowman on a person's back without them noticing. When that person realizes the snowman is on them, they have to stick it on someone else's back. Don't worry about the snowman staying on just one back for hours - giggling kids are sure to give the person a clue before too long. Try to have the snowman visit everyone's back by the end of the day.
Variation: Use a turkey for Thanksgiving.
This game made for lots of laughter and interaction for the adults, big kids, and little kids at our Thanksgiving dinner last year. We made our turkey out of paper. This year he needs to be card stock or foam. He got a little mangled.
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