multitude monday.

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821.  playing outside with my girls in the fading autumn sunlight.
822.  watching bella run through our backyard, barefoot in the grass.
823.  the way emmy holds my hand.
824.  chicken curry and rice, warm and spicy.
825.  autumn trees, bright and brilliant.
826.  watching nick coach; he pours so much into the lives of young men.
827.  big, weekend breakfasts as a family.
828.  dinner out with girlfriends.
829.  nailhead trim.
830.  days of hard work.
831.  my girls, freshly bathed, on the couch before bed giggling together.
832.  candles.
833.  new beginnings.

dear emmy.

dear emmy,

you melt my heart and make me laugh all at the same time.  you are such a little sweetheart and my quirky, full of expression, funny little girl.  i just love you so much.

one of my favorite things that you've been doing lately is whenever we leave the house, you wait for me and raise up your hand for me to hold.  you love holding my hand as we walk.  it's just the sweetest thing and gets me every time!  you also are a big waver.  you love packing your backpack and then giving daddy and i kisses and waving at us, pretending to leave on a trip.  this game literally lasts like twenty minutes... you'll kiss us both, wave bye-bye and then come back to kiss us again, move waves, more kisses... you get the picture.  so cute.  you never leave.  just lots of waves and kisses.  at night when i put you to bed you'll oftentimes look up at me--all tucked in, clutching your bunny--with those big brown eyes and start waving goodbye.  ahhhhh.  you are just so precious!

you're saying new words all the time and it's so fun to see what you'll come up with next.  today, bella was standing on one of our chairs and i was telling her she needed to sit down.  you looked up and her and yelled "SIT!  SIT!"  it was so cute.  my favorite word you say (hands down) is "lulu"... it sounds more like "roo roo" and your eyes get big and wide and you stick your lips way out when you say it.  adorable.  you've been calling bella "sissy" a lot lately and you love saying "mah!  mah!" (more) when you're done with your food and want more (which is every two seconds).  you're also getting good at communicating even if you can't come up with any words.  the other night you were fussy; i was hurrying around in the kitchen trying to get dinner ready, so i wasn't really acknowledging your fussiness.  you grew more and more persistent until finally, you stomped over to the cupboards, dramatically pulled open a drawer and lifted a bowl up so i could see.  you were hungry.  and you wanted me to know right that SECOND!

you're so affectionate.  you love giving hugs and kisses.  yesterday, we brought apple pie to our neighbors, an older couple that lives in our backyard.  she welcomed us to stay and visit for a while, so we did for a few minutes.  when it was time to leave, you leaned forward to give her kisses.  and when we were walking back over to our house, you'd stop every two steps and turn around to wave to her.  tonight i was reading you a bedtime story with pictures of babies.  you had to kiss them as we read.  so sweet.

you are also what bampy would say a "little imp".  man, you have a pesky side and you sure do have a temper!  i told daddy the other day when he got home from work "she has mastered the art of being a bug!"  you love picking on bella and taking toys from her, or getting into her stuff, or doing whatever you can to annoy her.  you also do that to me!  the other day i was using something and you came over to me, grabbed it and ran for the hills.  and wow... you are FAST!  i find myself chasing you around our house multiple times a day to recover something you've taken from either myself or bella!  i think you're going to be a little cross country star at some point in the future.  you also love to get into anything and everything that you know you're not supposed to.  the other night i got incredibly sick, and daddy was at a football game so i was in rough shape.  at one point, i was laying on the bathroom floor i was so sick.  you took that as an opportunity to start getting into everything.  you started bringing stuff to me in the bathroom; a box of crackers, a canister of oatmeal... you were totally stressing me out i had to call meme to come help me before you destroyed our whole house!  you also have learned how to plug your ears... the other morning i was singing to you and i thought we were having fun... until you plugged your ears in the middle of my song!  you seem to already have a knack for mischievous behavior and quite a little sense of humor to go along with it... we may be in trouble!

one of your favorite things right now are baby dolls.  you are loving them.  your babysitter told me that you play alot with another little girl your age, and that the two of you always have a baby doll in your hands.  so cute.  the other night i came home after daddy had put you to bed, and when i checked on you, there were two baby dolls in your crib.  daddy said that you insisted on going to sleep with them!  so sweet.  yesterday we went outside to play for a bit before dinner.  you had a purse in one hand and a baby doll in the other and didn't let go of either the entire time.

you are not the biggest fan of heights or anything "ride-like".  daddy was throwing bella up in the air the other night and you decided you wanted to try.  the minute you got too high, your eyes got huge and filled with tears.  daddy put you down immediately and once your feet hit the ground, you ran away crying.  it was so sad!  you've just gotten to where you'll let me sit you on our kitchen counter; you used to be petrified of even being up there!

you LOVE the park.  we go there all the time.  there's this one slide that's a bunch of round bars that roll as you go down and you are obsessed with it.  one night a couple of weeks ago, i took you and bel to the park, just the three of us while daddy was at practice.  i like taking you guys there on those nights; i get you a bagel and cream cheese from tim hortons and put you both in the swings so you can eat your dinner and swing at the same time.  then we play and play until it's time to go home and go to bed!  toward the end of our time there, we had the place to ourselves and started going down that rolling slide all together.  it was one of my best memories so far in my life as a mama.  over and over again, all three of us would go down that slide, both of your little hands clutching mine and the giggles... i never want to forget the sound of your giggles as we would glide and bump our way to the bottom.  you have the best laugh.  i don't want it to ever change!

you LOVE food!  macaroni and cheese you eat by the fistfulls.  it's hilarious.  we're trying to teach you how to eat with a spoon, but your hands are your utensil of choice.  you love yogurt, and we give it to you totally knowing it will end up everywhere and likely require a bath when you are done.  you go to town on any kind of fruit imaginable, and i can't really think of one vegetable you like right now.  a couple of weeks ago, we went to pick apples!  you had never been before, and i was so excited to take you.  once we got to our spot in the orchard, i gave you an apple and you totally plopped right down on the grass and sat there, eating your apple.  it was awesome.

dancing is your thing.  seriously; you have one go-to move that is just awesome.  you sway back and forth as vigorously as possible... it is just so adorable.  and you do it to anything; a ringtone, a toy that plays music, anything can give you the dancing fevah.  you love it.  but your all time fav is dancing to vacation bible school songs from this summer!

speaking of church, you've been doing MUCH better in the nursery when we leave you!  you used to cry and cry when daddy and i dropped you off... but now, you reach for the nursery workers and wave bye-bye to us!  it's been so great!  i'm so proud of you :)

everyone just loves you, emmy ems.  you are so sweet, and so so funny and the cutest little thing.  the other night we were hanging out with friends and you were upset about something.  my friend said "i feel like i've never really heard her cry!"  you're just pretty chill (most of the time!!!!) and a happy little girl.  i'm just so so so thankful for you, sweet pea.  can't tell you what a joy it is to just sit back and watch you... i can't help but smile and just be full of gratitude that god gave you to me.  i love you so very, very much!

love you to the moon and back (and back and back),
mama

instafriday.

daddy built a fort; naptime's never been cooler

someone's hoping for a bite

in a few years this girl's going to think it's pretty cool that a popular awards show shares her name...

cousin love

don't mind me; just reading up on some celeb gossip while in line at the grocery

eskimo baby

tis the season for baking

helping aunt holly open her gifts... 

making a wish

fall sunlight

i love to watch her run barefoot in the grass...

what's for your sweet tooth {homemade apple pie}.

one of my favorite things about this time of year is baking.

i love the memories that are made in my kitchen.  i love how baking in the oven will cause my whole house to smell of cinnamon and spice; i love how warm and cozy and happy everything feels.  i love the nostalgia of it all.

it doesn't get much more nostalgic than a good homemade apple pie.  in fact, it's one of my favorite things to bake this time of year.  i love making pie.  it feels accomplished and at the same time rustic and very suzy homemaker.  i feel so 1950's when my husband comes home to a homemade pie.  

and 1950's in a good way.

i've tried a few different types of apple pie, but i think i've just developed my own go to version.  here is my recipe; and by golly, please make your own crust!  it's so easy (i promise) and so very, very delicious.

homemade apple pie

crust:
* 2 1/2 c. all purpose flour
* 1/2 t. salt
* 1 c. butter flavored shortening, diced and chilled
* 6-8 T. ice water

- dice up your shortening and stick it in the freezer for a couple of minutes until it's nice and cold.
- combine flour and salt; cut in shortening until mixture resembles course crumbs.  add in ice water until a nice dough forms.  wrap in plastic wrap and place in fridge for at least an hour to chill.

filling:
* 8-9 apples, peeled and thinly sliced (i used a combination of macintosh and red delicious)
* 1/8 c. cornstarch
* 3/4 c. brown sugar
* 3/4 t. cinnamon
* 1/4 t. pumpkin pie spice

- combine everything and stir until apples are coated evenly
- roll out half of the pie crust dough on a floured surface and transfer into a greased pie plate.  fill with apple mixture and dot with 1 T. of butter.
- roll out second half of pie crust dough, and place ontop of apples.  pinch crusts together and fold under, crimping along the edges with your fingers. (optional: i like to jazz it up a bit and save a bit of extra crust dough to roll out and cut with leaf-shaped cookie cutters to arrange on the top of my crust.  just feels extra fancy).
- whisk an egg with a drizzle of water and brush the top of your pie.  bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes (depending on the heat of your oven, you may have to adjust the baking time a bit).

top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you've got a little bit of heaven on a plate.
enjoy!  happy fall :)

dear bella.

dear bella,

you are growing up right before my eyes.  i can hardly believe how big you are!

you are just so cute and say things every day that i want to remember.  right now you and emmy are either loving each other to pieces and laughing and playing... or you're screaming and fighting over toys.  it can get a bit exhausting; but i know there is hope in the end because that's exactly how auntie and i used to be.  and now we are best friends.  so my prayer is that you and emmy will always know how blessed you are to have each other!  you're very patient with her most of the time; she's definitely mastered being a complete and total bug to you!  but sometimes you lose it, or you'll constantly be telling me: "MOM!!!  emmy's buggin me!!!!"  the other day you found our fisher price nativity set in the basement and you had to bring it up and play with it, even though it's only september (you love christmas just like your mama!).  you were playing with it quietly when all of a sudden, emmy swooped in, grabbed mary and ran for the hills.  you got up and starting chasing after her saying "it's okay, mary!  i'll save you!!!!"

oh, the drama that goes on in our house.

you love princesses and castles and all things fairy tale.  there are lots of big, old, beautiful churches and ornate buildings where we live, and i remember when i was a little girl thinking they were castles.  so i've started getting you to look out for all of the beautiful "castles" and you've totally LOVED it.  whenever we get in the car and drive downtown, you're always getting so excited and pointing them all out to me.  today on our way to the park you said "mom!  look, at that castle!  i have to go there so i can dance with the prince!"

you also love trains.  we were on our way home from the park the other night and got stopped at some train tracks near our house as one was coming through.  you LOVED it.  once it had passed, you were wondering where it went.  i knew another street it crossed over further down, so we raced over so you could watch it go through again.  now every time we pass over those train tracks you ask where it is.  i think you got your love of trains from jude!

the other night i got really, really sick.  daddy had a football game so it was just the three of us at home and i felt so awful.  at one point i was laying on the bathroom floor and you kept coming in, rubbing my back and asking me if i needed anything.  "it's okay, mama.  you'll be okay."  your face was full of concern for me, and you were trying to think of anything you could do for me to help make me feel better.  it was so sweet; you're such a tender hearted little girl who is so thoughtful of--and sensitive to--the needs of others.  i pray all the time that god would sustain that spirit in you, and use it to minister to others for his glory.  such a great, great quality, sweets.

you LOVE clothes.  especially dresses.  i just ordered you some clothes from target, and the package came today.  you were soooo excited, you tore right into the package and you're currently wearing three of the four items that came (two are a skirt and a dress).  but you just HAD to wear them immediately, all at once.  i love it.

you've been loving the fall.  we went to pick apples a couple weekends ago, and you had a blast running around with your cousins and eating as many apples as you could find.  you also supervised daddy and uncle brian as they climbed on ladders to reach the higher apples; and you also tried climbing up a couple times until someone caught you.  i've been trying to do little activities and lessons with you on the days that i'm home.  right now they're centering around apples, leaves and the fall.  we've done apple stamping, taken a trip to the library to find fall themed books, made an apple/bible verse craft and practiced our letters.  you are such a little free spirit.  i'm trying to teach you how it's important to follow directions, but i can't help but love your creativity.  fall colors include pink (because it's your favorite) and apple stamping quickly turned into painting the entire page with all of the colors all at once.  but you're having fun and that is all that matters.  i love watching your little mind work, and your personality come out as you learn and play.

you LOVE helping me in the kitchen.  we make stuff all the time, and you just love it.  my rule is, i measure and you can pour.  and; no fingers!  you love "taste testing" especially when sugar is involved :)  i hope you enjoy being in the kitchen as much as i do, love.  and i really treasure that we're making special memories there, you and i.  i hope you will always remember being in the kitchen with your mama!

you have really been enjoying your new babysitter, michelle.  she watches a few other kids and you LOVE going to her house and playing with everyone!  i love when you get home at the end of the day; it feels like christmas i get so excited to see you!  you shriek and laugh and jump up and down.  one day i said "bella, how was your day?!"  you held my face in your hands and said "it was so good, sweetheart."  three going on forty three.

you've also been loving your fridays with meme.  this fall i have to work an extra day for my certification so meme comes and stays with you and ems.  you LOVE it and never want her to leave.  the other night we got to skype with nonnie and papa.  you and ems danced for them and they watched you play.  nonnie's birthday was back in july and for some reason, a couple times a week you'll say to me "mama!  today's in nonnie's birthday!"  for some reason, that just stuck in your mind.  you love your grandparents and you're very blessed to have ones that love you so very much!

you have been loving church but you really miss vacation bible school.  one night when i was putting you to bed you were really sad.  when i asked you what was wrong you said "mama, i just really miss vacation bible school."  we still play all of the songs for you and ems and you have a ball singing and dancing.  you've been learning about joseph (or so you say) in sunday school and tell us about him every week when we pick you up.  love watching you learn more and more about jesus.  i pray that you will follow after him with your whole heart your whole life.

you are still a huge fan of daniel tiger's neighborhood, know and sing all of the songs and apply them to every day situations.  it's hilarious.  at night you always sing "pj's, brush teeth, story and song and off to bed!" and if we try to skip over any of the steps, you're quick to remind us by saying "remember?  daniel tiger says..." and you sing the song all over again.  you're so cute.

i love you SO VERY MUCH my little sweet pea.  and even though i wish you could stay my baby forever, i just love watching you grow.  you are such a beautiful and kind little girl and i couldn't be prouder to be your mama.

love you to the moon and back (and back and back),
mama

multitude monday.

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806.  chilly fall days.
807.  homemade apple pie, warm with ice cream.
808.  when both of my babies crawl up into my lap.
809.  spying on the girls in their rooms at church.
810.  packages that show up at our doorstep.
811.  pumpkin spice coffee.
812.  emmy wanting to hold my hand as she walks.
813.  bella holding my face in her hands and calling me sweetheart.
814.  the quiet strength of my husband.
815.  boots.
816.  family time.  nothing better.
817.  new fall clothes for the littles; i love dressing my girls!
818.  silent moments.
819.  cozy on the couch as i watch the wind swirl outside.
820.  longtime girlfriends; and watching our kids play and laugh and grow together.

what's for breakfast this morning {overnight crockpot apple butter}.

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i love it when pinterest works for me.

it's like, i pin a million things and sometimes--just sometimes--i think "hey; i should actually do that!"  and then if it's a success?  well, that's just a double bonus.

last sunday night i was bored with the sunday night football game and decided to get on pinterest to check out fall recipes.  we had just been apple picking and i wanted to try something new besides the pie, crisp and muffins i already knew i wanted to make.  when i saw this recipe for making apple butter in the crockpot--while you are sleeping--i not only pinned it, but i actually got out my apple peeler and went to work.  yep, ladies and gents... i actually made it that instant.  very rare for me and pinterest.

i had everything on hand for this recipe and i was pretty excited about it.  the smell of the apple butter cooking throughout the night made for an extra good night's sleep, and super scrumptious toast the next morning.  it was a total success, and so, sooo easy.

here's the recipe, adapted a bit from cooking light.
(yes, it's even light).  told you; all around total success.

overnight crockpot apple butter

* 10 medium apples (approx. 2 1/2 lbs), peeled, cored and cut into large chunks
* 1 c. brown sugar
* 1/4 c. honey
* 1/4 c. apple cider
* 1 T. cinnamon
* 1/4 t. pumpkin pie spice

- combine all ingredients in your crockpot.  cover and cook overnight, or on low for about ten hours, or until apples are very tender.
- place small batches of your apple mixture into a fine mesh sieve and over a bowl, press mixture through using the back of a wooden spoon.  discard pulp.
- when this process has completed with all of your apple mixture, put it back into your crockpot and cook, uncovered, on high for an hour to an hour and a half until thickened.  stir occasionally.
- place apple butter into a bowl, cover, and chill for up to a week.

when i first made this, i was a bit disheartened by how small the batch was.  however, a little apple butter goes a long way so we still haven't made it through all of our first batch!  next time i think i will freeze some, or try canning a couple of jars so that it will last longer.

this is super delicious on toast, english muffins, and i also made a really yummy panini with it that i'll share the recipe for soon!

enjoy!

instafriday.

nativity out in september: someone loves christmas just like her mama

emmy's first apple picking trip: she was a fan

an evening in the orchards

i was singing to her and she did this

post 5k breakfast

watching daddy mow

a before-supper-trip to the library

i love surprises from the husband; especially ones that come in pink

apple stamping

multitude monday.

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795.  dancing with my girls.
796.  the smell of anything-apple baking in the oven.
797.  coffee+a blanket.
798.  boots.
799.  a trip to the library.  watching the girls proudly carry their book finds.
800.  homemade apple butter.
801.  church small group with my husband.
802.  paper bags full of apples.
803.  fresh basil.
804.  apple picking.  bella determined to help daddy.  emmy content to sit and eat an apple.  or two.  or four...
805.  corn stalks and yellow mums on my front porch.

apple picking.

one of my absolute most favorite memories of fall growing up was going apple picking as a family.  

we'd load up and head to an orchard, a whole crew of us.  there was a crisp feeling of fall in the air, and we were giddy as we loaded up paper bags full of sweet, juicy apples.

my dad was super tall, so he could reach many of the apples we couldn't.  us kids grabbed a few to eat as we picked, tart, sticky juice running down our chins.  mom would make so many fall-ish treats out of what we picked; applesauce, apple crisp and a pie or two.  it was all very exciting.

i love getting to share the memories i once enjoyed with my own girls.

today, we headed to the orchard.  it was wet, muddy and a bit cloudy and this year wasn't very good picking.  but i sure got some beautiful pics, which is really one of my favorite things about going.  nick loves to climb the trees, the girls love to eat, and i love to take advantage of good photo ops.  seriously.  sometimes i forget that we went to actually pick apples, i just love taking pictures.  oh, and getting lots of apples for my fall baking.  of course.

 

 

   

 we only got about half a bag full this year, but the girls babysitter gave us an abundance of fruit freshly picked off her backyard apple tree.  so i will have plenty for my fall baking.  meme had the grandkids each pick their own pumpkin, i bought a few corn stalks to decorate our front porch and a jug of fresh apple cider.  yum.

 

a fall family fav.  we may not have gotten many apples, there may have been lots of mud and wet grass, there may have been a very cranky three year old... but all in all, it was a great trip!  until next year...

instafriday.

saturday morning trip to the donut shop

coffee&donuts

are you ready for some football?!

cold enough for footie pajamas!

cloth diaper bum

emmy's #1 fan

homemade pizza + monday night football

they taste more than they cook

nothing cuter than a baby all wrapped up after bath