Autumn

I love this time of year. 

I also love the word Autumn.  I like it so much, I could even name a daughter Autumn.  …but that book is closed.  No more beautiful daughters to name Autumn.  Instead, I will just enjoy the season and saying “welcome” to my favorite time of year.

Some of the Autumn happenings around here:

Autumn mantel:

Autumn details:

I just love these itty bitty pumpkins you can buy. I love them so much I want to buy more and more, but my budget doesn’t allow that.

Autumn food:

Sweet Chili and Homemade Bread. (recipe located at the bottom of this post)

I have enjoyed being in my kitchen again.  After our long drawn out move, it is nice to be back.  I think I am cooking more than I have in a long time.  I am proud to say that I have a meal ready for my family most nights.  Jonathan is consistently home around the same time now, and never takes call.  It makes meal planning so. much. easier.  YEAH!!!

I have realized how important family meal time is.  I knew that, I am just reminded of it every time we sit down together.  I am thankful for my family all gathered round.

…and so we must have an Autumn table:

…and more Autumn food:

Ginger Snaps: (recipe also located at the bottom of this post)

and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip pancakes with Buttermilk Syrup

and last but not least Autumn decisions:

After a lot of thought, I have come to a very difficult decision.  I am going to take a break from my photography business for a while.  I have had moments during our whole transition without sessions looming over me to be edited.  It is in these times that I feel the peace.  I think these moments helped with bringing back ME.  Although I love it, and I have a passion for it; I have decided that I am going to love it for me for a while.  I am going to love taking pictures of my kids.  I am going to love capturing the moments in our home.  I am going to take this year to learn and grow some in my photography for myself.  At the end of one year, I will take a step back, revaluate and decide where I am going from there.  I love the creative outlet that photography allows me, I just can’t afford to take anymore time from my kids.  Thank you to everyone who has supported me on my photography journey.  It has been a wonderful learning and growing experience for me.  I hope that when my kids are bigger that I can return to it with a more dedicated effort.

I recently finished posting my last 3 photo sessions that I haven’t shared with you yet.  If you would like to check them out, click on the picture to take you to each post found on my photography blog.

The Posey Family: my last photo session in AR

London: A great photo session of my niece in UT.  You should see the beautiful cherry orchards in these shots.

And this is my last session done here in PA of my sweet friend Kenna, her family, and their new addition.

I am thankful for this time of year.  I just love it.  I found this quote and it describes exactly how I feel.

Ok, now that I have overloaded you with all that we have had going on, here are those recipes if you are interested:

Sweet Chili

This recipe was given to me by my friend Krysta.  It is a family favorite this time of year.

1# ground beef

1 onion chopped

2 cloves garlic

2 t. salt

1 t. black pepper

1 t. cumin

1 t. dried oregano

1 28oz. can diced tomatoes

1 20oz. can tomato sauce

1 16oz. can kidney beans(drained and rinsed) (I usually use 2)

1/2 C. brown sugar

1 can water

2 C. macaroni

Sour cream and shredded cheese

Brown beef, onion and garlic for ten minutes.  Drain and add spices.  Cook for 2 minutes until fragrant.  add tomatoes, sauce and one can of water.  Add beans and brown sugar.  Boil and then simmer for 30-35 minutes.  Let stand for 10 minutes.  Add cooked macaroni.  Top with cheese and sour cream.

My changes:  I cook the ground beef with all seasonings just like the recipe says.  Then I add it all to the crockpot minus the noodles.  I let cook until one hour before we are ready to eat.  I add 1 cup of water and a couple handfuls of noodles.  The noodles cook in the crockpot in the hour.

Gingersnaps

Pumpkin Pancakes with apple Cider Syrup:

Beat 2 eggs, and stir in ¾ C. pumpkin then add:

2 T. sugar

½ t each: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger bk soda, and salt

1 ½ t. bk powder

¼ oil

1 ½ C. flour(can use whole wheat)

Stir in 1 ½ cups milk

Cook on griddle

I like to dump a few chocolate chips on each pancake.

Syrup:

Mix in saucepan:

1 C. sugar

2 T. corn startch

Add:

2 C. apple cider or juice

2 T lemon juice

Boil for one minute and serve over pancakes.

on this particular day, I used this syrup instead:

Buttermilk Syrup:

1 C. sugar

1/2 C. buttermilk

1 cube butter

Boil and remove from heat.

Add:

1/2 t. soda

1 t. vanilla

Stir together.  It will get bubbly.

Not healthy in the least, but oh so divine.

My Baptism Day.

I turned eight this year.  Eight is a very special birthday.

 

Eight is the year that I get to be baptized.

It is a very important decision.

By choosing to be baptized, I am following Jesus.

Jesus was baptized.

spiritual enlightenment here.

We are baptized at eight because that is the age of accountability, or the age that we begin to understand right from wrong.

I was baptized on Sunday, September 16, 2012.

I was baptized by my father.

I wore a very pretty white dress.  My dad also wore white.

By making the choice to be baptized, I am setting an example for my younger brother and sister.  Jex set the example for me.  He was baptized two years ago.

My Aunt Kristin and cousin Luke came all the way from Las Vegas to be with me.

My Aunt Lindsay and cousin London came all the way from Utah.

My Aunts played a very important part in my special day.

They both spoke at my baptism.

Kristin spoke about Baptism.  She told me about the 3 “bears” that we take on when we are baptized.

1.bear his name

2. bear one another’s burdens

3.bear your testimony

Her testimony helped strengthen mine.

Many other people from our ward family came to support me.

That was a testimony to me of the love that is shown by those who follow Jesus.

When I was baptized, I was baptized by immersion, which means fully submersed in water.  I went down and came right back up.  That represents my sins being washed away.

The water was very warm, but my mom was there to wrap me in a warm towel when I came out of the water.

I was given three white towels that day as a gift.  They were each made by friends or family.  I feel so loved.

After I was baptized, I came out dressed in a new white dress.  My mom put my hair up in a braid because it was all wet.

A member of our ward who is an artist, drew this picture of me while we were listening to the speakers. It is a beautiful reminder of that day.

Then my Aunt Lindsay spoke, she spoke about the gift of the Holy Ghost.

The Holy Ghost is the gift we receive after we are baptized.

She told me the Holy Ghost gives three signals just like a traffic light.

1.red-stop what you are doing and repent

2.yellow-warns me of danger

3.green-a time to testify, teach or prompt

I am so thankful she came to help testify of this important gift.

After she spoke, I was given the gift of the Holy Ghost; also by my father.

It is given by the laying on on of hands.

My father asked every worthy priesthood holder in the room to stand with him. 

There were many wonderful fathers and friends who helped administer this ordinance.

I was touched.  The spirit was very strong.

Along with the spiritual gift of the Holy Ghost, I received many other gifts from family and friends.

This necklace says; I am a Child of God.  Which I know to be true.

My parents gave me new scriptures, and I also got: a scripture case, a new pillowcase, and lots of jewelry.

This is the pillowcase from my Grandmother.

After my baptism was finished, we had a nice evening of refreshments.

My mom made these cookie cakes to help celebrate.

CTR means: Choose the Right.

It was a beautiful day.

A day I will always remember.

I am happy when I follow the Savior’s teachings.

You may enjoy seeing my entire baptism photo session found here.

For my family who is far away and couldn’t make it, my mom made this video to celebrate my life and my decision.  You may enjoy watching it.

Sister visit/Picture Story

As you know, my sisters came for a visit.  They came to celebrate the baptism of one special little lady.

  I am so excited to tell you all about it.

…But before I get to that, I have to share what a fun week we had.  I am thankful for sisters, cousins, and time to share with them.

While they were here, we just had to take advantage of some of the fun things PA has to offer.

Some of you may recognize a few of these photos from Instagram; if you follow me.

On that note: I am using my iphone more for photos.  It is so convenient, but not necessarily the quality that I love.  However, it captures the moment. And I love sharing life with you on Instagram. It’s like a quick way to blog.

Here is our week in pictures from my awesome camera, and my iphone:

Kids wake right up and get to playing.  Even though one little one didn’t get to my house until 3am.

We took the kids to the park to play and have lunch.

I took the girls to Eastern Market; a fun farmers market that happens all year round.  It is open every Friday; I buy all my produce here.

My sisters agreed to watch our kiddos while Jonathan and I went to a concert.  Our second concert this week. We went to Luke Bryan just 3 days previous.

 

The kids piled up on the couch and watched a movie while we were gone.  AWE!

(taken with Lindsay’s iphone)

Back at the concert: Justin Moore, “If heaven wasn’t so far away.” This song was played during my Grandpa’s funeral video.  Miss you Grandpa.

One of my favorites: Eric Church. Springsteen. “Funny how a melody sounds like a memory.” I love how music can recall a memory.

..and always a beautiful sight when the audience pulls out their cell phones.

Thanks again Kristin and Lindsay.  It was so nice to get away and know our kids were being loved on by their aunties.

Saturday, it was the whoopie pie festival.

Complete with a whoopie pie launch, and YES!! those are real whoopie pies that they are launching. Oh, and that guy… yes… he is MY husband.  Isn’t he Hunky?

157 flavors of whoopie pies to choose from.

We bought a few to try.

Strasburg; which is Amish country.

Old time Icecream shoppe…

…when a Amish buggy pulled up.

We enjoyed icecream…

…Luke slept in the car.

Then we toured Amish country. This is one of their schoolhouses.

(taken with Kristin’s phone)

Another concert. This time Jonathan watched the kids, and I went with my sisters. Yes! I am a concert junkie.

A little Lauren Alaina? She was great. This is my third time seeing her this year. I loved it. We had a great time and even enjoyed sharing a red velvet funnel cake. Love my sisters.

Paulos farm; which had fun FREE things for the kids to do.

They loved feeding the animals.

I was dead set on feeding a  baby goat that was being bullied by a bigger goat.

I finally succeeded.

The kids just really enjoyed being together

….and I think that is what it is all about.

Sweet Frog frozen yogurt for FHE.  Everyone loves this place.

Oh, and the FROG in Sweet Frog stands for; fully rely on God.  Love it!

We also did a little Christmas shopping.  I am so excited about what I found. Plus, I really love shopping with my sisters.  It is what I miss most about being away from them.  We all love a good deal.

It was a great weekend.

Thanks Kristin and Lindsay for sharing the week with us. The only thing I wish I had a picture of; a picture of the 3 of us together.

Coming soon:

Stella’s baptism.