Pumpkin Seeds

I knew after getting our two pumpkins from the pumpkin patch, I was going to take them and the little one we had bought a couple months back, open them up and get out their seeds. Saw a craft where you dye the pumpkin seeds and use them in crafts. One afternoon last week, KFC and I opened the pumpkins and retrieved their slimmy seeds! KFC was totally disgusted, which I was too, but knew the end result would be worth it.

I put some slices of pumpkin shell in with the chickens and they absolutely went ballistic! It was as if the pumpkins were in there to kill them!!! They flew so high and fast. That afternoon Hubby went down there and said they had warmed up to the pumpkins and were pecking at it.

We rinsed them in water and laid them out to dry a bit over night. Then the next day we dyed them green, red, and yellow.

Then let them dry out completely for about 2 days

This past weekend, Hubby and KFC sat down to make their craft. The dyed seeds were meant to be fall leaves. 

KFC - 4 years old

Hubby - 30 years old :)

Makes me sad to have cut them up since this means that now is the end of my real pumpkins laying around the house. Can't wait till next years pumpkins. Maybe we will get some in our garden. This year we got two small ones but were quickly killed with the first frost.

October Updates

I have been so behind in blogging!!! Hopefully within the next week I can get caught up! Some of our happenings in October were...

I saw an estate sale listed on craigslist and asked a friend if she would like to go with me. It was near Hubby work, which made me wonder how safe we would be, esp since there is always a shooting going on in the 'Dirty D'! It turned out to actually be a nice house where you could tell an older couple once lived. I asked the lady running it was this her family's house and she said it was her grandmothers. Kinda sad to be going through some lady's stuff that prob a few months ago still called her own and still used! :( Either way she had some GREAT finds! Glad I only brought $20 with me because there was several things I would have gotten. What I did get was:

3 blue mason jars (dated 1908)- that was the main reason for me going

2 lamps- which will be going in our bedroom when we get around to painting it

A wooden rolling pin- every time I need one I think 'why have I never bought one!'

An older Strawberry Shortcake book for KFC.

All for around $15!

I also went to the downtown Farmers Market for the Honey Festival. Sadly I left my camera in the car and didn't realize till we were far away from the parking deck. Only got a picture of the things we got there. We started up one side of the street and then grabbed some lunch from a vendor that was there selling honey inspired burgers. They were SOOO yummy...and sticky!!! There were 2 to choose from and I got the 'bruschetta burger' that came with moon brie, heirloom tomatoes, basil, and honey! After eating our burger, we headed down the other side of vendors. So much there to taste and try! We got to look at a couple beehives there that were behind glass. One guy marked the queen bee and we got to see her lay a few new baby bees! Came home with a full belly, a bear bottle of honey, plenty of honey sticks, and 4 Extra Large cookies! Mmmm Mmmm. Nice to get 'out of town' and KFC enjoyed everything to look at and taste!

Lastly KFC got invited to a little girl's Fairy Party. She, of course, wanted to be Tinker Bell. I got to work on making a green tutu for her. My plan was to also make her a green leotard to go with it. The fabric store where I got the tulle from didn't have the right shade of green- and with lack of time and lack of want, I ended up buying a leotard at Target. They didn't have a size small enough for her so we had to settle on a bigger one that was all baggy. Oh well, she didn't seem to mind. She also made a request to have her hair in a bun like tinker bell has. So I put it in a pony tail and used my flat iron and lots of bobby pins to give it that bun look. A little pixie dust in her hair and she was ready to go!

Pumpkin Patch 2011

Pumpkin Height (from left, top, bottom) 2011, 2008, 2009

Last weekend, we made our way to our annual trip to the pumpkin patch! So glad we waited till after Halloween because 1- there was very little people there and you got much more time to play and 2- it was cooler... fall should be pants and long-sleeves, but in years past we have been in shorts and have gotten a sunburn!

Playing in the Hay Jump and in the Tee-Pee 

Ridding the 80' Giant Slide

Playing in the corn

Riding the 'Cool Bus'. 

Top-2011, Bottom-2009

Waiting for the train

Waiting while everyone got their seat on the train

Train Ride

KFC actually rode the pony this year! She backed out when we were buying our tickets and then later she changed her mind.

There was a new activity this year... the pillow bounce. I REALLY wanted to go on it!

Hayride took us for a ride and to pick out a pumpkin. KFC didn't find one small enough for her liking so she settled on one Hubby picked out. By this time KFC was wore out!

Another great year at the pumpkin patch. Can't wait till next year!

Sleeping Under The Stars

Since taking KFC camping for the first time last year and her liking it, I wanted to keep up us going every fall and spring.  This fall we went a little later in the season than I had expected so it was VERY cold! I kept checking the forecast days before we left. Good news was that it was supposed to be full sun both days and mid-60's, bad news was the lows were expected to be in the upper 30's! I was worried that we would not have enough sleeping bags, so I started asking around. We had 1, Papa had 3, Catlin's had 4, and L&GW had 2... that's 10 sleeping bags total, YES!!! I also brought 2 comforters, sheets, and several smaller throw blankets. I like to over prepare than be stuck 2 hours from home and freezing. And we used all 10 of those sleeping bags! I have a method~ sleeping bag under the air mattress, one on top of air mattress, then a sheet, then a sleeping bag you actually sleep in, then a cover on top! Hubby and KFC didn't want the air mattress, so I made them a pallet with layers of sleeping bags, one to sleep in, comforter on top and the smaller blankets on top of that. First night I didn't actually sleep in a sleeping bag but under a comforter and I FROZE the ENTIRE night!!! The second night I got smarter, re-arranged where certain sleeping bags went so that I could have one to sleep inside of. Then we layered up clothing to sleep in. I had a t-shirt, then hoodie, then a coat, a scarf, and gloves, long-johns under fleece pants, and 2 layers of socks! Nice and toasty! Whew.

The campground had heat in the bathrooms which was super nice when it came to taking a shower! Downfall was all the granddaddy-long legs taking over the bathroom! I know they are the nicest of the spiders but I don't do spiders!

We got to the campground around 2pm Friday. Uncle KK and CousinM were bunking with us for the weekend so we used their tent since it was bigger than ours. And our tent went to the Halls since they didn't have one. Once we got to the campsite, Hubby and I tested our marriage setting up their monstrous tent! After that was up, Hubby and BR went to set up our tent for Halls while I put together our elaborate sleeping arrangements. Everyone was pretty much there and set up by dinner time. KFC went to bed promptly at 8pm since she was being super whinny! She was asleep before I finished changing into my PJ's! 

Saturday we were awaken by 7am with some crazy person cutting wood! Together we made pancakes, bacon, hashbrowns, and eggs. Cleaned-up breakfast and got dressed to head to the top of mountain for some sight-seeing. 

I thought about how I should grab batteries for my camera before we left home, just in case... Sure enough, I pulled out my camera and the battery light was blinking with no spare batteries! This trip has very few pictures :( {I apologize to my family now for when we look back at our trip years from now and we are short on the memories, oh well}

We were trying to figure out a way to get everyone up to the top while not having to take every car... ya know, trying to be 'green'. Then I thought, if I really wanted to be 'green' then we would take the 2 mile moderate/strenous hike up that started right beside our campsites! Nah... we hopped in BR's truck. I was to scared to ride in the bed, even though I let my child ride back there! haha

Take 1 of family pictures. Hubby and KFC, not looking too happy...

Take 2 of family pictures. Hubby doing a stupid face, and KFC still Not happy! Then I gave up.

I think there is where KFC got her pose with her hands on her hips... from her Daddy!

Saturday night after dinner, I broke out the coloring pages I had printed off for them to do. Trying to keep them busy till they retired to bed! Hubby insisted that we bring this table from home, I thought he was going over-board, but WOW was it great for the kids! 

Sunday morning the girls asked to color again, so Sure, keep busy :) I also made all the kids scavenger hunt bags. I found some ideas online, made a list of the items I thought would go with our campsite, found pictures to go with the listed items (since some of them can't read yet), printed off the list and attached it to brown paper lunch bags. Then printed off each kids name to add to their bag- KFC picked out the name color for each kid. Some cared for the scavenger hunt and some didn't, but at least it kept them busy!

Despite the extreme cold at night and all the bumps and bruises the kids (+ 1 adult) endured it was a great camping trip! Glad we got to spend the weekend with our local friends as well as our out-of-town friends! In the spring, I plan on trying out a different campsite as well as a longer stay. 

Fall is Here!

Fall is my favorite season! It includes all my favorite things... Cooler weather, layered clothing, hot soup/cocoa/tea, no bugs, camping, and most importantly PUMPKINS! Pumpkins are by far my most favorite thing in the world! Along with all the other winter squash family, I love their shapes, colors, textures, and sizes. At the first sight of pumpkins/squash in the grocery store, KFC and I have started our collection. I think she loves them as much as I do! 

I also love anything cooked with pumpkin too! I found a recipe for pumpkin bread and decided to try it out. It yielded 2 loaf pans but instead I made 1 loaf pan and the rest into muffins. The muffins turned out great but for some reason after taking the loaf pan out of the oven the bread collapsed. It was truly the ugliest looking thing I have ever baked... But it was absolutely delicious! It was firm on the outside and gooey on the inside!

This year I finally remembered to buy a mum before they were all gone! I choose the peach colored one and placed it on our back deck. Its nice to have some color out there again.

Last weekend, MIL surprised me with one of the greatest gifts... A knitted PUMPKIN pin cushion that she made herself! I didn't think I could love anything more than the pumpkin she got me last year that was made from dried real pumpkin skin!, but this knitted pumpkin is equally loved! I can't get KFC to stop playing with it, but I guess I can learn to share! :)

I am now looking forward to all of the activities I have planned for fall!