Fall Family Fun

 

Hello! This week is really feeling like fall in Nebraska. The mornings and evenings are cool, almost brisk and the days are still warm. This morning had me wondering if we should turn on the heat! But I had some mocha and put slippers on instead. :) I don't know about you, but we wait as long as possible before switching the furnace over in spring or fall. 

Today I'm sharing the second page of my October 2012 Pumpkin patch page with you. This was almost exactly 3 years ago! My little girl is 5 now and this is still our favorite pumpkin patch to visit.

The glam bag was full of cute embellies that I used with the stamps all over this page. And the washi strips are the perfect pop of interest to add on any corner. I also misted some gelato a couple places. I though the white background on the family card was too stark for this page. I love my gelatos! They're so versatile! If you're thinking about getting into any painting or mixed media work, I'd definitely start there!

What's your favorite fall activity? Do you have special family traditions? Enjoy a special treat (pumpkin spice latte here!)? I hope you're using the adorable September Take 10 kit 'Homestead' to document your family fall traditions!

Pumpkin Patch

 Hello! Today I have a festive fall page about our trip to the pumpkin patch to share with you. This month's Take 10 Kit just immediately made me think of fall when I opened it. The purples, reds and cozy feel of Homestead was the perfect match for these pictures from 2012. I finally have all of my pictures from 2012 printed and in my album. Now I'm going thru and adding cards and journaling to complete it. If I get a kit like this month, I'll often jump around to complete a spread that fits. 

This is page 1 of 2 (you'll see the other one next week) documenting a trip we took with friends to a local pumpkin patch. This was my daughter's first pumpkin patch experience and we all had a blast. It was a really windy day but that's normal for fall in Nebraska. She also wore her PSU shirt in support of Daddy's team but only because it was an off week for Nebraska. ;) 

All the embellies that came with the September pocket kit and glam bag really worked to make my page pop! I really love this new take on washi tape! The strips are so easy to use. The 'together is our favorite place to be' is my favorite card in this kit. I love the barn wood look and it made the perfect title card for this outing.

I hope you're all having a wonderful fall! I can't wait to see how you're using your Homestead kit!

Harvest Chex Mix

I just love this chex mix! I just sends me straight to thoughts of fall. I got it at from my mom a few years back and it's been a favorite ever since. Though I don't often make it... It makes a big batch that's best shared and all these ingredients don't add up to a cheap snack. So I look forward to enjoying it once or twice a year!

Harvest Chex Mix Recipe:
1 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1T cinnamon
Combine above ingredients in a small sauce pan until the butter is melted and you have a sauce. Do not boil.
1 box Crispix
1 box Honeynut Chex
1 can mixed nuts
1/2 bag pretzels
3 packages apple chips
Mix together in a large bowl. Then pour over butter mixture while still warm. Spread on 3 cookie sheets and bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.

Fall

I think I'm ready for Thanksgiving...
I've been dreaming of cheesy potatoes, corn casserole and ham. Oh I love ham. Yes, we have ham at Thanksgiving. Papa doesn't like turkey and he's boss. And I'm not complaining! :) Speaking of ham, the first thing I"m eating when I'm not pregnant is a deli ham sandwich and an over-easy egg. I miss runny eggs.

This cool weather we've been having makes me sad that I won't be wearing my trusty sweaters this year. I do not want to stretch them out in hopes that they'll fit again next year!

Ghouls on the Run!

I ran a 5k on Sunday! It was called Ghouls on the Run for the Girls on the Run program. We ran with a whole bunch of upper elementary girls and their families and coaches. I think it's great that they have this program in their schools to encourage exercise.
Sorry there will be no pictures because, we didn't want the pressure. Some of us (Heather) get nervous at these events. So the goal was to view this as just another practice run.
Heather, my mom and I started out together but it didn't last long. It was so windy! Thankfully they changed the course so we didn't have to run across the dam Holmes Lake. But we still had to run across the bridge and I thought I was going to blow away! Even though I walked some, I really happy that I finished. I think Heather ran the whole thing and Mom ran most of it. Great job girls! We'll have to do some more races next summer.
Next time we schedule a race, I plan on practicing a lot more. I was so sore earlier in the week. I could barely walk down stairs and I walked like a little old lady. Sadly, this shows what bad shape my thigh muscles are in. Oh well, I have a whole winter of Pilates to fix that! :) I didn't start running regularly until this spring and it did drop off a little mid summer but I am so happy that I started. Now that I know I can finish these races, I'm excited for spring so I can start running again with the hopes of doing better on next year's races. So if you feel that you're not really a runner, try it! You might be surprised.

GO BIG RED!!!

It is 25 days until the Huskers are back on the field. I canNOT wait! I can just feel the excitement as I think about it. I love the feel of game days whether I'm in town for the game or at home. I like to turn on the radio and listen to the Big Red Network all morning. And of course I like to crank up the tunnel walk when it comes on. I get goosebumps even at home!
But nothing can beat actually being at Memorial Stadium. The food is great - I like to get nachos with everything but who doesn't like a smashed dog from the wiener slinger. You can feel the excitement building as people come in to their seats and the players start warming up. When the players head back into the locker room it's really time to get pumped up. I love watching everyone stand up on tip toes as the tunnel walk begins. The excitement and thrill I feel at the climax of the Tunnel Walk when the players run in and the whole stadium erupts is unexplainable!

This picture is from the Texas A&M game we went to last fall. A, my brother loves getting his picture taken. :) I have to say, that my favorite games have been with AJ and this one might be at the top of my list with the game we went to a couple years ago close behind. The first game we went to was a cold one. I love cold game days. I get to bundle up in my red puffy coat and squeeze into our row by some hopefully nice people. AJ and I sat by a large farmer that day who made jokes about fitting us all onto the seat every time we stood up and down. Very funny! I love husker fans (not the disrespectful ones).

The Texas A&M game was a hot one. I mean hot! But we sat in the faculty section. At one point during the first half, everyone began booing the refs for a bad call on defense. AJ thought they were booing the Blackshirts, who have seen better seasons. She immediately stood up and screamed "Go Blackshirts, we support you! WELL, at least I support you!!" The person next to us pointed out that we were booing the refs. But it was really funny!

So here's a picture of AJ and I from that game. We had a blast in spite of the lose. I sure hope our team is better this season. And according to most reports we will be. Well, at least we can't be worse than last year. I'm so happy that Bo respects and is excited about Nebraska traditions and walk-on Nebraska players. I think the passion of the Nebraska boys is what drives the passion of the team on the field. I look forward to seeing what this season brings and am really happy it's only 25 days away! Even though summer is my favorite season, Fall is a very close second because of football. Goooooo Biiiigg Reeeeedd! GO BIG RED!