Fun at the Farm

We went to the pumpkin patch with Jacob's Dance Marathon Group (a charity at the hospital that brings awesome activities and support to kids and families affected by cancer). It was a beautiful fall day and the place was jam packed.

We saw piglet races. (I want a piglet now!) 

The kids wore their Halloween costumes, as did lot of Dance Marathon children.

 

Why is it that with three children one can never take a good group shot?

 

Simple Potato Soup

My camera seems to be hiding from me today so I must sadly post this recipe without a photo.

This is such a simple soup/stew (I can't decide which it really is!), very inexpensive, and great for a busy evening. The leftovers are even better the next day. My children love it.

5 lb. bag of potatoes, peeled

1 lb. raw hamburger, crumbled in pieces

chopped garlic, fresh or dry diced onions to taste

Water to cover all

Keep this at a slow boil for about an hour on the stove. Use a potato masher to mash it all together into a gloppy mess. Season with salt and pepper. Add a little milk if it looks like it needs it. Ladle into a bowl and top with some shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Yum!

Write Stuff

This past spring I ran across a project in The Creative Family by Amanda Blake Soule that I wanted to attempt: the felt pencil roll.

It was very simple to piece together and sew, the material was very inexpensive, and they have held together for months now. I also took Amanda's idea of putting together a bag with the pencil rolls (and Joe's crayon roll) and some sketch books. It's easy to grab the bag when we all want to draw or to tote it all to the park or on a car trip.

It's a nice quick rainy day sewing project that yields months of creative artistic fun!

 

 

This Week

*I'm finishing unpacking and washing loads of laundry. There is lots to play catch up on after four days away!

*So over the Presidential debates, Facebook posts, and all the bashing. Will be so glad once November 6th has passed. Both sides need to stop bashing one another and stick to the facts of their own agenda.

*Drinking lots of tea, lighting candles which bring the scents of Autumn into the home, and looking forward to the crock pot full of chili this evening. Fall has arrived (along with gloomy and soggy conditions!).

*Getting ready to start a part-time job this weekend. Extra money for winter and a chance to get out of the house some evenings during the LONG cold winter months? Sign me up, please!

*Dealing with excited kids who are itching to go to the Pumpkin Patch this weekend. We have a fun event planned with Jacob's Dance Marathon group there on Sunday.

*Getting back into crafting and planning to sign up for a knitting class here in town.

*Reading a lot recently. The most recent books being Relentless by Dean Koonz and Handbags and Homicide by Dorothy Howell.

*Smelling yummy after visiting the LUSH store in Mall of America. Their bubble bombs are seriously the bomb (Dorothy is a fun one!). Loving the soap samples I bought. Absolutely love the coconut shampoo bar - it does wonders for my curly hair! Hubby loves their solid deodorant bar (though it's kinda messy).

*Finding some fun new blogs. What are some of your favorites?

 

A Sneak Peek of Minnesota Fun

Sunshine

I'm enjoying the bright sunshine today, much like our three legged cat above is doing as she sunbathes on our living room floor in front of the window.

We turned our heat on this weekend. I hate, hate, hate to turn it on before November, and often have a contest with my mom and brother to see who can hold off the longest on turning it on but with temperatures a good 20 degrees below average it just couldn't wait when the high was 57 degrees in the house. Brrrr.

I'm stuck inside with a cold, having lost my voice, and drinking pot fulls of tea this weekend hoping to soothe my stinging throat. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I feel better and that this virus does not befall another family member as we head out for our mini trip soon.

I had a quick burst of energy on Friday and managed to get several things on my to-do list crossed off. Which may be why I am stuck in bed this weekend with my nasty cold. You will all be so proud of me that I am *this close* to being finished with sorting the children's clothing and getting rid of boxes and bags full of stuff that they just don't need. I ran across this thread which basically says what all of you told me: 7 to 10 days worth of outfits for each child is plenty. That is my goal! Our hampers are already less full and it's much easier to put clothing away with organized and not-so-packed drawers as before. I can't wait until this project is finished!

I'm kind of wishing we had space for a family closet, like the Duggar's Family Closet (especially since soon I will be dealing with 6 people's wardrobes) but in this tiny house, with minimum closet space in the first place, it's impossible. Pairing back the amount of what we have shall be helpful. I'll continue to keep you updated on the progress...it's about 80% completed!

I'm excited about several homemade health and beauty products that I am about to attempt. I'll post the recipes/how-to if they become a new favorite of mine.

Edited to add: I have to laugh and share - the moment I hit "Post" the John Denver song "Sunshine" started to play on the radio! Guess I titled this post appropriately! :)

Jacob's 3 Month Scan

...is clear!!!!

He is now off all medications, clear of any limitations (movie theaters are now a go!), and does not have to be seen by doctors for another CT scan until the new year!

Thanks to a donation from 'Children & Families Affected by Cancer' sent to Jacob for "something fun"we are planning an upcoming trip to a water park (something that Jacob has wanted to do all summer but unable to do so due to the central line that he had in) and a visit to the zoo, museum, and other fun stops!