punk-in pie!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE pumpkin pie. Seriously! When I was little my great grandma would always make an extra one...and although she never came out and said it- I knew it was just for me.

Its my favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal. The stuffing/dressing is a close second...but that's a new liking in the last few years. There are so many fun ways to mix it up...with apples, or crumbled up cornbread muffins or turkey sausage etc etc etc. But I'm getting off topic...PUMPKIN PIE!

My favorite pumpkin pie is super easy to prepare!

1. Go to your grocer's freezer aisle.
2. Grab a Sara Lee frozen pumpkin pie
3. Take it home and bake per instructions (oh- and pay for it of course! )
4. Let it cool- then refrigerate for a few hours. (it has to be cold - its the best that way!)
5. Cover with a whole carton of whip topping.
6. Dig in...cutting into slices and plating- PURELY optional! :)

I've tried out alot of pumpkin pie recipes- and I come to realize Ms Sara Lee has it perfected! I'm not a big fan of pumpkin pies with using real shredded pumpkin filling...yuck! And some call for too much nutmeg. Sara Lee all the way!



This morning I got this email from my mom...sadly enough, it doesn't deter my love for pumpkin pie. I'm still counting the days until Thanksgiving...so grandma, please please please say your making a pumpkin pie! and maybe make an extra one...for traditions sake! :)

The world according to pucca

As we were walking back to the van after school, I asked Pucca how school was today.



"Great! Ms. Kennell (her teacher) is going to be a grandma soon. Her 25 yearold daughter is going to have a baby this week. But don't worry- she's married...so its all good."


what!? She said it so matter of fact- that all I could do was look at her...speechless. Obviously she has it all figured out! And she's only a first grader! Such a silly kid! :)

New do and color too!

It was high time I did something with this rag top of mine....so I did a little cut and color.

Actually, I cut in some more bangs and added some layers, but the overall length stayed the same. And I went with a lovely light brown auburn. Perfect for winter! :)

a little behind

Things have been oober busy this week- and I forgot to post my favorite fall decorations...and our pumpkins!!!!


Ok- so I LOVE the pumpkin patch. Really any farm pumpkin patch-y area (not one specific one). There is something about taking a hay rack ride out to a field and pulling your very own orange gord free from its vine- that makes it that much more special.

This year however, the weather had different plans for us. It was rainy and cold and yucky the week leading up to Halloween. So in an effort to avoid catching colds and quite possibly pneumonia...we found our pumpkins somewhere else... a local grocery store. GASP! Shocking I know. I felt shameful evening mentioning it to the girls. But what can you do?!

Here's our make shift pumpkin pic for 2009...
yes, we bought them from Super Saver.
yes, I made them pose like that- I was getting my pumpkin pic one way or another.
and yes, I'm sure people thought I was nuts for making my kids sit by pumpkins outside in the raining mist in front of Super Saver.
But its also a memory that adds to our family! And we're just crazy like that...at least I am! :)

The twins painted their pumpkins and Pucca carved hers. (She cleaned it out and I carved what she wanted.)




Kynna's is a clown (middle), Kwynnie's is a scarecrow (right), and Pucca used halloween shapes for her face. The eyes were witch's hats, the nose a pumpkin and the mouth a bat. They all turned out cute!

Here's my little ode to witches...I made witch brooms to set by my front door. I just grabbed a stick from the yard, cut some perennial grasses and tied them together with some twine.


Here's the whole front stoop...


can't forget the cinderella pumpkins...aren't they cute! And they only cost $4 for all three of them. And the wreath was made from supplies at Hobby Lobby- the whole wreath only cost $15- I bought them when the floral things were half off...which they are right now if your thinking of a holiday wreath.


Speaking of Christmas...I wonder how we will decorate our new house!