Pumpkin Patch Fun!

     This weekend we took Brody to a pumpkin patch near our home. I honestly didn't go into it with the highest expectations. We are from a really small town, and we are the county seat :). So, little did I know we would find such an awesome patch so close to home! The pumpkin patch is called Annabelle's Fun Farm; it is a pick your own patch and so much more!

How Cute is the this?! This is where you check in and buy your tickets. They also have a ton of homemade seasonal home decor for sale, and a concession stand. 

It started raining as soon as we pulled in, so we were a little worried we may not get to enjoy the farm after all. But the rain stopped for a minute so we decided to go for it. These were the ominous clouds that lurked the whole afternoon though. 

Our first stop after purchasing our tickets was the petting zoo. 

Brody had so much fun here! The animal pens were painted to match the atmosphere of the whole farm. They had pigs, a HUGE tom turkey, peacocks, ducks, chickens, about 8-10 goats, miniature horses, and sheep. Brody's favorite were the goats. There were a few roaming between the pens and they would just come up and sniff you. He thought that was pretty funny :)

After the petting zoo, we made our way over to the play area. 

How cute is this barn/play area! Brody had such a blast on the swings! 

This patch did not have a traditional corn maze. But they had the best train! You gave the conductor (complete with hat and all!) Your ticket, picked a car, and hoped on for a trip through the corn field! They had it all decked out with grave yards, scarecrows, and skeletons throughout the field. It was SO windy outside! That's what's got Brody's hair so crazy in the bottom right picture :). Brody had such a great time riding and did NOT want to get off when it was over! 

Until...

It was time to head out into the pick your own patch and he saw all the pumpkins and wagons! 

We picked up a few pumpkins, then hoped on to Brody's first hay ride! Brody loves all things tractors and had a blast riding behind this one, taking in the scenes. 

There were a few more activities the farm had that were just a little too old for Brody. But we'll try to catch them next year. Including bounce houses and air canons. It was a big day for Oklahoma college football so the air canons were rigged up to shoot at scarecrows in either, OU, OSU or Texas gear. (Go Pokes!) They also had this fun station you could "mine" for minerals. 

It started pouring just as we were getting ready to leave. We were so thankful it held off long enough for us to get all of our fun in. Brody had such a great time, we had a bit of a melt down when it was time to get in the car. It only lasted a few short minutes though. We were probably not even a mile section down the road and I looked back and found this. 

It was so great to check an item off of our family fall bucket list. I know we'll be back at Annabelle's in the years to come, and am excited to see it become a tradition for our little family. 

Do any of you go to pumpkin patches as part of a family tradition? If not, what activities do you do to welcome in the season? 

In Christ Alone

     Sometimes the power of a song amazes me. This is one of my favorite songs of all time. I haven't thought of it in a while, but we sang it in church this evening and the words ring with such power, I close my eyes and am ushered in to the throne room of our Living God. The amazing love of Christ resounds in the lyrics and you can't help for praise God for all that he is. The last two verses are so full of victory, it nearly brings me to joyous tears every time I hear it. Listen to this song today and remember all that Christ has done for you, is doing for you and the GOOD plans he has for your future. You are loved by such an amazing God. Go. Shout it to the world. 

In Christ alone my hope is found

He is my light, my strength, my song

This Cornerstone, this solid ground

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm

What heights of love, what depths of peace

When fears are stilled, when strivings cease

My Comforter, my All in All

Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh

Fullness of God in helpless babe

This gift of love and righteousness

Scorned by the ones He came to save

‘Til on that cross as Jesus died

The wrath of God was satisfied

For every sin on Him was laid

Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay

Light of the world by darkness slain

Then bursting forth in glorious Day

Up from the grave He rose again

And as He stands in victory

Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me

For I am His and He is mine

Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt of life, no fear in death

This is the power of Christ in me

From life’s first cry to final breath

Jesus commands my destiny

No power of hell, no scheme of man

Can ever pluck me from His hand

‘til He returns or calls me home

Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand

Homemade Caramel In a Can!

 

     I love caramel; especially in the fall! I hate unwrapping 60 candies and constantly standing over a stove though. So when I saw this easy peasy way to make caramel, I had to try it! 

All you need is a can of sweetened condensed milk, a big pot, and a couple of hours. 

Take the wrapping off of your can of sweetened condensed milk and just cover it with water in a big pot. Make sure the can is laying on its side. Bring to a boil, then decrease the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 2-2.5 hours. You will have to periodically add more water periodically to make sure the can stays submerged. 

And after a couple hours you have this deliciousness...

We ate it almost immediately and it was good but not the GREATEST caramel I've ever had. But, tonight I had some more that I dipped apples in to and it was much better after it had chilled in the fridge. It hadn't firmed up too much that I wasn't able to dip in it. I liked how smooth is was too. It wasn't sticking to my teeth like crazy. 

Verdict: Definitely making it again. It was absolutely delicious after chilled in the fridge a bit. It was super smooth and by far the easiest caramel I've ever made. :) 

My Handsome Hub!

   

   
      This week I want to introduce you to my favorite man. The man the Lord has trusted me to love, serve and share life with. He is SUCH an amazing man. One post will in no way do him enough justice, so I'll have to just try to hit some highlights.
     Lance is an extremely hard worker. He currently works for a local county as a case worker, but goes to school two nights a week working towards his Masters Degree in Social Work. He does such a trying job all day, goes to school, comes home and does homework, but still finds time to clean up dinner while I start Brody's bath, switch the laundry out for me, take care of the yard and so much more.
     He has got a huge servants heart. He is a deacon in our church, leads a discipleship group full of eighth grade boys, and co leads a young adults bible study on Wednesday night. He never ceases to amaze me with his willingness to give of himself to help someone in need. The Lord has gifted him relationally so much so that people feel like they've known him their entire lives even if they've only known him a few weeks. I like to tease him because even though we live in MY home town, I am now referred to as "Lance's wife." And that's ok, it's a title I'm proud to hold. He has helped grow me spiritually in so many ways. I had only been in the church for a little over a year when we started dating and he has really shown God's heart to me and shown me what it looks like to live with the Light and Joy shining through.

     Lance likes to say that sarcasm is his love language and spiritual gift. Now, while we joke about that, Lance does happen to be one of the most sarcastic people I know, but he knows how to use it in a tasteful and hilarious way. I tell him I get so frustrated because when he does something that may start a tiff I just want to be mad at him for a little bit, but I can't! He does something to make me laugh and I forget all about it and move on. :)
   

   
      He is such an amazing father. I always knew he would be, but it amazes me when I look at him and see the ways the Lord has grown and stretched him since stepping into this role. I'm pretty sure Brody thinks he hung the moon. He can tell when it is close to the time Lance normally gets home and starts going to our picture window, looking for him saying "da da, da da" :). He comes home and no matter what kind of day he has had or how tired he is he gets down on the floor and plays ball or cars with Brody to Brody's little hearts content. He openly tells me how much he misses Brody when he has to go a couple days without seeing him. He's not afraid to act goofy with him just to get a smile. He also is a very strong leader to our son. Brody knows to take Lance seriously and usually obeys him without a second warning. He exemplifies a godly father and can't wait to see how many more children the Lord blesses us with.
     Some random lighter facts about Lance. He has a sweet tooth bigger than anyone I've ever met. He could eat candy, chips, pop  any type of junk food every day and be perfectly happy. He is a man's man. He loves to hunt, fish and watch and play sports. If something breaks in the house he fixes it. I'm constantly impressed with all of the skills he has. One of our favorite common hobbies is to shop, and can go through an amazing amount of money in a short amount of time if you drop us off at an outlet mall. He use to play basketball and is still very good. I'm not kidding, the man has one of the prettiest shots I've ever seen.
      I am so thankful for this man. It has been so fun showing him off to you guys! We are writing one pretty amazing love story and I can't wait to see how it all turns out. :)

If It's Got A Cowboy In It...

     If it's got "cowboy" in it, you know it's going to be good. I am an Oklahoma girl through and through, so I know only good things come from the word "cowboy." And this recipe is NO exception.
I got this recipe from the The Pioneer Woman. A God fearin' rancher's wife from Oklahoma? Y'all know she has gotta know what she's doing. :) This recipe is absolutely no exception. I may have I'm pretty sure I could have eaten the entire pan. So, Happy Thursday and You're Welcome! And go make this for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack or all of the above!

You'll need
1 Deep Dish Pie Crust

8 slices bacon, fired until crispy

2 yellow onions sliced

2 tablespoons butter (or bacon grease)

8 eggs

1 ½ cup heavy cream

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat your oven to 400 F 

First, Roll out your pie crust and lay it in the pan. Confession: I used a store bought. True story, I didn't even know they made store bought pie crust until I was well into my teen years and caught a friends mom doing it. Our family pie crust recipe is that good. One day I'll share it with you. :) Ok, back to the point. Store crust works fine for this because unlike pies, it's the inside that's the star of this dish. I used both of the crust that comes in the package and smooshed (yes, it's a word. Right?) them together so the crust would be thicker. 

Next, begin caramelizing your onions. I used bacon grease instead of the butter. Why? Because I'm a small town Oklahoma girl and we all have it in our fridges in a coffee mug. Right? No, just me? Well, give it a try. It's delicious with this. Just save the grease from the bacon you fried for this. 

Be patient and keep the heat to medium and in about 15 minutes you'll have this yummy, golden onion deliciousness It's worth the wait. Trust me. 

Mix the eggs, heavy cream and salt and pepper in a bowl. 

Now, add the onions, cheese and bacon to the egg mixture and throughly combine. 

Pour the mixture into your pie crust and cover lightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the quiche is set and the crust is golden brown

You end up with the most delectable quiche I have ever tasted. This is seriously good y'all. Make it up and serve it to your favorite Cowboys. Or your grandmas. Or your dogs. I don't really care you make it for, you just have to try it. It's that awesome. 

Quirks of a Brody

     Brody is one of the funniest toddlers I've ever met. Now, I know I'm a little biased but this time it's for real yo. He keeps us laughing all the time. I'm going to share two of his little quirks with you today and know he is going to really appreciate it later kill me when he's 16 for sticking this out in the interwebs. One day my grandchildren will thoroughly appreciate this knowledge though. So there, I'm doing it for the grandkids.

     Brody's first hilarious quirk is probably my fault. Sometimes this kid gets some seriously rank feet, especially in the summer. So, being the unashamed dork that I am, when I take his shoes off, if his feet I make a point to smell those precious little piggies and say "phew, no stinky feet today!" Or if they're not so sweet smelling, I'll make a big production saying "sheeewwweee Brody man has got stinky feet today!" or "Brody the Stinky Feet Man!" Now, I know some of you are probably secretly judging me and any damage I may be doing on his toddler psyche, but trust me, he thinks it's hilarious.
     Well Brody has some how decided that he in fact, does NOT have stinky feet, but in fact delicious feet. After I make the stinky feet verdict of the day, Brody proceeds to stick his big toe in his mouth and says "MMMMMMMM." MMMMM, like "Hey Mom! These are the tastiest feet around!" Which in turn gets rolls of giggle from his dad and me. This sweet boy has got the best self confidence in the world! If only we all had such delectable toes!

     Ok y'all, this next quirk takes the cake. It is the funniest thing I have ever seen, and the one he is going to kill me for someday. Brody does what we call "The Poopy Poopy Shake." *que the swinging blue jeans music* It started when he was around six months and started eating solid foods. It is our tell tale sign of a deuce in diaper (too much? sorry). Immediately after Brody does his thing he does an a la cold chill shake with his whole body. Like every time. It is so funny! We've gotten used to it by now. Ok, not really, we still laugh every time. It doesn't matter, where we are, what he's eaten or the number of occurrences in a day. The shake appears. I've tried to catch video of it, but I'm usually too slow and miss it, so you'll have to just use your imaginations on this one. But trust me, it's hilarious!

Are there any crazy or hilarious quirks your little ones entertain you with?



I'm linking up with Growing Up Geeky and Terrell Family Fun today for Toddle Along Tuesday!

Best Job Ever

I am a boy mom. I love everything about being a boy mom...
 

  I love little boy giggles when they do something ornery...

I love the way little boys smell after playing outside...

I love the way little boys love to eat...

I love little boys and their cars...

I love the way little boys are fearless from so early on...

(side note: this was before I learned how dangerous it is to slide with your child.)

I love the way little boys ride in trucks with shades...

I love the way little boys always love their mommas...

I love the way little boys just know what to do with a bunch of tools, without ever being taught...

     

     I love little boy kisses. I love the way little boys throw balls, and get excited when they see sports. I love the way little boys love tractors, dirt, cows and all things country. I love little boy toes and smelly feet. I love little boy clothes. I love little boys in tennis shoes and cowboy boots. I love the way they jump off couches, and pretend to be superman. To me, there is nothing better on this earth than being a momma to this sweet little boy. 

     Growing up, I always thought a little girl was the way to go. A daughter. Pink, purses, princesses and tea parties. Bows, curls and dress up. Until, I got pregnant and I knew. I knew from the moment I found out I was pregnant that there was a precious baby boy growing inside of me. I can't imagine spending my days doing anything else besides throwing a ball, driving a car, and playing in the dirt. One day the Lord may bless me with a daughter and I will be overjoyed. I'll learn all the glories of sugar and spice. But today, today I love being a boy mom and wouldn't change it for the world. 

Sunday Inspiration

Here's a little food for thought and spirit lifter for you today. :)

This is my favorite hymn of all time. I still remember the first time I heard it. I was in chapel service at OCC. The band leading worship introduced it as their favorite hymn. Now, I appreciate hymns, but it's only been in recent years that I've come to develop a love for them. Except for this one. This one moved me from the opening words. The picture that is painted in the lyrics of God's great love is so astonishing. It still gets me every time. Here's my favorite version, sung by Mercy Me.

The love of God is greater far

Than tongue or pen can ever tell
It goes beyond the highest star
And reaches to the lowest hell
The guilty pair, bowed down with care
God gave His Son to win
His erring child He reconciled
And pardoned from his sin

Could we with ink the ocean fil
And were the skies of parchment made
Were every stalk on earth a quill
And every man a scribe by trade

To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry 
Nor could the scroll contain the whol
Though stretched from sky to sky

Hallelujah [3x]

O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints' and angels' song

Out of Focus

     One of the things I have noticed I do when I run, is watch the ground. I focus on the road immediately ahead of me and press on. I get so focused on said road in fact, that I sometimes miss some dangerous and beautiful things coming at me. It got me thinking about how we do that in our everyday lives as well. We get so wrapped up in the immediate that we forget to look around at the work God is doing.

     

     Sometimes I'm so caught up in my run that I miss dangerous things coming at me. Like cars, dogs, road construction, etc. (Not really the road construction. Okay maybe. But just once!). I'm so busy not paying keen attention, that I almost injure myself. I'm only saved when my sweet running partners snap me out of it at the last moment. The same thing is true with our walk. We get so focused on the daily grind, that dangerous temptations can just sneak up on us out of no where. Bam there it is. That same old sin that catches us every time. "I didn't see it coming!" we say. But then again, do we ever? I think if we were more focused on what was going on around us, we could see the yellow flags coming and flee. The author of Hebrews tells us "We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away." (Hebrews 2:1 NIV). Sin is all around us and we have to watch out for it. Our enemy is sneaky; he likes to catch us when we aren't paying attention.

     We also can get so focused on the here and now that we miss the beauty that surrounds us. I have been on many runs at sunrise and I miss the beautiful pictures our Creator is painting in the sky. I've missed magnificent lightening storms. I've missed the simple beauty of the trees and the flowers in the spring and summer, and the subtly changes of the leaves happening now. God excels in creating beauty out of messes. Read the lyrics to one of my favorite songs, "You make beautiful things; you make beautiful things out of the dust. You make beautiful things; you make beautiful things out of us." (Gungor, 'Beautiful Things') Every day, every minute, God is creating beauty out of your life. My charge to you (and myself) is that we are actively aware of that beauty. Next time we're so focused on the mess that our house is in, take a second and look at the beautiful family God has blessed you with. The belly laughs, the silliness, the impromptu kisses from a toddler. When we are so caught up in our finances and bills, sit back and look at your spouse. The wonderful life you are creating together. The love legacy you're leaving. When we are so caught up in the politics of the church, sit back and enjoy the beauty that is the Church. The bride of Christ. Your brothers and sisters. Listen to the raised voices of praise to the one true God and King.

     So go, be watchful, keep an eye out., your God is with you in it all. And plus, you never know what He can do when you pay attention."There's a really big world at your fingertips, and you know you have the chance to change it." (Britt Nicole, 'The Lost Get Found')

     

Meet the Mrs!

     One of the things I love most about the blogging world is the connection you feel to the writer. As a reader I have felt such strong connections to the writers that I find my self praying for them, rejoicing in their joys, and weeping in their sorrows. I want you who read my little corner of the blogosphere to feel the same connection here. So, I'm starting a new weekly post that I'm calling "Family Feature Friday." Each week I want to introduce you to a member of my family or put fun little tid-bits to get to know us better.

     This week I want to let you get to know me a little better. I'm a happy 25 year old that's learning to find joy everyday. Here's 15 facts you may not have known about me. :)

1. I'm the strong, independent woman I am today because of the love the strongest single mom I've ever met gave me.
2. I have a SERIOUS sweet tooth. Like really. I ate cookies and ice cream almost every single day I nursed.
3. My favorite "real" food is anything mexican.
4. My favorite fancy coffee drink is a skinny pumpkin spice latte with no whip cream. Even though most of the time I just order "whatever they have brewed" with a splash of half and half and 1 splenda.
5. I'm an adrenaline junkie.
6. I hate summer. I LOATHE temperatures above 80 degrees max.
7. I get so lost in a good book I feel like the characters are my family. Lance knows not to interrupt me if I'm "in that place."
8. Speaking of things Lance knows. I have a serious problem with public nosiness. Lance can tell just by looking at me if I'm eavesdropping on the next table's conversation and quickly pulls me back to reality.
9. My favorite book of the Old Testament is Ruth. I love the love demonstrated in the book, and strive to love with the Ruth's kinda love.
10. I have a tatto on my left foot. It's an alpha and omega. One of God's many names. I love this one because it reminds me that no matter what trial I am going through, He's the beginning and the end and He's got this.
11. I read the entire Harry Potter series over again every couple years.
12. Loving my self and appreciating God's handiwork in me is the biggest struggle I face.
13. I took dance classes for about 15 years and still pirouette and arabesque when no one is watching.
14. I love the way my husband walks. It's one of the things I find most attractive about him.
15. I have a serious love/hate relationship with running, but am some how finding myself training for a half-marathon.  

     I hope this little bits of randomness gave you a glimpse into the chaos that is me. :) Have a blessed day y'all!