Yup.

Got the idea from my friend Angela.

Great for kids.  Great for moms. 

CUPCAKES for everybody!

All were deLISH. 

I know. They are SO simple. 

But who cares.  They are still SO yummy.

The pumpkin combo?  I actually said “oh my gosh” when I took a bite.

Try them.  You can thank me later.  XOXO

APPLE “CUPCAKES”

Cut apple in half. 

Carefully cut out the core of each half.

“frost” with almond butter or peanut butter.

Top with berries OR canned pumpkin.

Sprinkle with cinnamon.  EAT!

Just had to add this pic.

That was last night.  My girl, her bedtime snack, and giggles.

Doesn’t get any better than that.

Happy Fall. 

Guess what?  My “new” blog is being redesigned by a pro!  I am so excited.  It might take a while.  Stick around.  I promise to keep it REAL and keep it YUMMY around here.  XOXO

O taste and see that the Lord is GOOD.  Psalm 34:8

Cortlands are my very favorite apple of all.  Super crunch.  Pure white flesh (pretty applesauce!) and doggone delish.  I just ate 2 of ‘em.  YUM.

I seem to have forgotten the YOGA in my blog, huh?  No worries. 

Let’s talk KNEES.

Since I am an ol’ lady (38) I can feel my knees when I walk Charlie at the crack of dawn.  I know that if I want to still move and groove when I’m 88, I need to take care of my KNEES.  I only get 2 of them.  YOGA sure helps. 

Try this.

Just take a yoga block (get them at Target!) and place between your shins.  NOT your knees.  Look down and be sure your feet look like a number 11 (parallel) and not all wacky and crooked.  Firmly plant your feet into the mat/floor and squeeze that block.  Now… at the SAME TIME, try to pull your thighs away from each other.  If you do this without the “shins hugging” the block will simply fall out. (woops!)  You can do it!  This is from Anusara Yoga (my fave!) and it’s called SHINS IN, THIGHS OUT.  (catchy?)  You basically align the bones and create stability (strength) around the knee joint. 

XOXO

Get down on your knees before the Lord.  It’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.  James 4:7

I am so happy to have my hubby HOME.  XOXO

Today we got up with the chickens Charlie, and went HIKING!

Am I married to Daniel Boone?

The trail was maybe 2 miles?  Very wooded and a little rocky.

Just the sound of our feet crunching the ground.  Love that.

Somedays, you just need a little yoga.

Are you excited for September?  I am! 

Cool evenings, pumpkin, and FOOTBALL. 

What’s not to love?  XOXO

My eyes are always on the Lord, for he rescues me from the traps of my enemies.  Psalm 25:15

I am a baker.  NOT a biker. Ugh. 

Biker D says PEACE. 

Biker Ab is all smiles after some miles. 

Hope you all had a great Sunday. 

My legs are toast, but my heart is JELLY.

XOXO

I am the gate.  Those who come to me will be saved.  John 10:9

That is my baby girl.  I think she grew up when I blinked my eyes.

Today is her FIRST DAY of 8th grade.  Abbi was excited and nervous and sleepy.  Sounds normal to me.  I did not cry this year (usually do!) but it makes me so happy to see her happy and yet, I get a lump in my throat when I really SEE her.  Sure, she has the same long skinny legs she has had since she arrived in this world, and her head of thick blond hair (like her Daddy’s) is longer and she now wears gym shoes and dresses, cause well, it’s cool.  She packs her own lunch and spends waaay too much time picking out earrings.  She talks A LOT and makes me laugh.  But she looks DIFFERENT to me.  She is just more… ABBI.  I love that.  and I love being her mom.  XOXO 

Fill the valleys and level the mountains and hills.  Isaiah 40:4

Grandma and Grandpa came over from Ohio today and brought PEACHES!          So yummy.  They were perfectly ripe, so I made this easy sauce.

5 peaches

3 apples

Peel and slice.  Microwave til soft.  Blend til smooth like buttah.  We all wanted to lick our bowls! 

and… look what Grandma brought for Charlie!

We are now officially ready for football season!  Charlie is fired up.  hehe.

It’s been a great day.  Family, being home, and enjoying our last Sunday of Summer vacation.  This week be sure to water your marriage, hug your kids, and stop worrying about stuff that really doesn’t matter.  I’ll try too.  XOXO

Don’t worry about what you’ll say. When the time comes, say what’s on your heart.  Mark 13:11

We went to see the Tin Caps!  D’s company got tickets for the employees (plus Tin Cash to buy snacks!) and it was really fun. 

Abbi had fun with Jacob (in the photo above), the son of one of Dan’s co-workers.  He is a PUMPKIN and Ab just loved him!  He just might need a babysitter sometime, so she is excited.  Nite!  XOXO

The very hairs on your head are all numbered.  Matthew 10:30

I love moving my legs before my brain is awake.

After a teeny bit of yoga with D, we all ate some eggs and headed to the Farmer’s Market!

Yup, Charlie came along!  Poor D could not walk 3 feet without somebody telling us how cute he (Charlie!) was and asking about him.  His little tail does not stop wagging.  He is a happy guy.

Check out the yummies.

I was SO excited they had the first batch of ORCHARD APPLES!  I love a good apple.  One that crunches and pops.  D and I tasted every single kind (yay for free samples!) and we could not agree, so just got a combo bag.  I like them sour, D likes them sweet.  Hey wait a minute… is that how we picked EACH OTHER? hehehe  Just kiddin, honey.

Here is my peach with the peaches.

AND we saw Sunny, Abbi’s guitar teacher!  What a fun surprise.

After we explored downtown a bit, we headed home so D could mow the grass.  Ab and I biked to the library before it got too hot!  phew.  A busy, active, FUN Saturday morning with my family is just my favorite thing.  Except for when it’s football season and we can spend the afternoon curled up in a blanket while D watches the Buckeyes beat somebody.

Charlie is ready for a nap.

Enjoy your day!  XOXO

Earth produced green seed-bearing plants, all varieties, and fruit-bearing trees of all sorts.  God saw that it was good.  Genesis 1:11

Abbi had so much fun with her cousins in DC.  I think they all loved the experience, but mostly just loved being together.  sniff.

It only took us 10 hours to get home… and that included a HUGE stop at Trader Joes in Columbus!  I want to go back this Fall with D for an Ohio State Football game.  Trader Joes AND the Buckeyes?  Yes, please.  Does anybody have connections to help me get us tickets to a home game?  Pretty please?

My girl was SO happy to see this guy.

It looks like Charlie is giving her a kiss on the leg.  What a pumpkin.

He was SO happy to have his family back!

XOXO

Good news from far away is like cold water to the thirsty.  Proverbs 25:25

After a quick breakfast in the room, we caught the metro to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.  Basically we said SHOW ME THE MONEY!

We look pretty chipper for 8am.  Get ready, we get greasier by the minute. hehe.

It was a neat tour!  Did you know that our paper money isn’t really paper?  Our bills are 75% cotton and 25% linen.  So glad you can WASH money, yes? 

Then off to the Vietnam Veteran’s memorial wall. 

So humbling to see all those who died in that war.  God bless their families.

After lunch, we hopped on the trolley to the National Cathedral.

WOW.

The inside was amazing.  I would love to be there for a service at Christmastime and listen to the whole place sing.  It would feel like heaven, I think. 

Then we went all the way back to the hotel, got our cars and went to Mount Vernon! 

We visited George Washington’s huge homestead.  We walked all over the place, and we agreed that everyone had at least one body part that was hurting.  Mine would be my quads and calf muscles.  ouch!

BUT… ice cream was just ahead, my friends. 

We actually stopped for an awesome supper at Outback Steakhouse, then drove to Old Town Alexandria.  They had homemade ice cream (hard dipped, the best kind!) and it was YUM.

We got our faves.  D = pralines and cream, P = peppermint stick, and A = coffee.  I forget what everybody else got but it was delish!  Yup, I am still DAIRY FREEish. hehe.  I just got a small scoop and got a small tummy ache.  It’s okay.

We hit the LIFE IS GOOD store and took a 90 minute boat ride on the Potomac river. 

Seeing the city at night was really cool.  Just one day left!  In the morning, we are going to Michelle’s house for breakfast!  Nooo, really, we’re going to eat breakfast (yummo pineapple buffet) and then TOUR the White House!  D will post this in the AM when we can get free wifi in the lobby… for now, nite nite!  XOXO

*I’m sorry…. NO pictures from Day 4!  (they won’t let us have cameras in the White House, so we were camera-less ALL DAY! sniff)  We looooved the WHITE HOUSE and even got to see the PRESIDENT drive out along with a gazillion secret service dudes!  COOL!  Arlington National Cemetery was amazing.  I pray that Abbi always remembers it.  We are so blessed!  XOXO