My little {Pumpkins}!

We finally went! I couldn't wait any longer. The Great Pumpkin was calling to me....how could I resist? I really have enjoyed our family outings on the weekends. The pictures are cute, but what you wont see is that it was 37 degrees and raining.... I might regret that later, but the kids and I had a blast! (Oh, and I didn't buy any pies this time....I resisted the urge to splurge!)

A day at the museum.....The American Museum of Natural History!

I found out one night studying at the library that NY has a program similar to Chicago where the residents can check out museum passes like books. These were great in Chicago and we took family and friends to see the sights often without the growing admission price tag! So this last weekend we took the kids down to NY to see the Natural History Museum. This had to be the coolest Natural History Museum I have ever been to! Usually I like the aquarium and the zoo....or the art museums, but this is already a favorite!

There were several floors of these glass enclosed taxidermy animals. Most of them I had never heard of. It was fun to see the girls' reactions to life size alaskan moose, elephants, and bears! The lighting was ambient, so the pictures aren't fabulous especially because they were all taken with my phone but not to bad considering. I couldn't resist taking this picture of David with the girls! I love to see how they interact together, truly he has a special relationship with them that I adore! He was telling them about how he used to shoot these animals when he was a little kid in Wyoming. I didn't know they had African Bongos in Wyoming!!

The museum is known around the world for two specific things. Their 94' life size replica of a Blue Whale that hangs cantilevered from the ceiling, and their dinosaur exhibit. The girls will remember the dinosaurs even though they were getting pretty tired by that point in the day. The presentation was immaculate! Couldn't be any better.

They perked right up when we got to the "touch" room called the Discovery Room. They had clipboards with things to find in the room and trivia....the girls went straight to a set of three tables that contained memory match games.

Anastasia liked the bugs too! My big girl isn't as girly as her younger sister. Ereland was a little timid about the enlarged house fly.

But perhaps my biggest smile of the day were the hats!

We live in NY now! Never thought I would say that, but here we are, enjoying the view!

Cardin's Wardrobe!

My little boy is a chunk! I feel like I can't keep up with my growing boy! I got a sunday shirt and a halloween shirt just so that I felt like I could cloth him in something that fits! What do you think of my stylin' little boy?

Time for CORDS!

I love fall when you start to bring out the warmer clothes! The days seem to be so beautiful especially with such a wet summer! Yeah, for (coordinated) courdoroy!

And yes, Ereland is nursing a pig!

Sweet Love!

David called one day before coming home from work and we talked, well I talked. I was having a more difficult day than most. When he got home my sweet man brought home a white rose for me! Awwwwh! I love him for those tender moments! I have been looking at it now every day and it makes me grin all over just like he made me 7 years ago!

So to return the gift, and let him know I love him just as much, I got him his "white rose" and we had floats later when the kids went to bed!

Love you Babe!

Familiar Mornings!

This is what our mornings look like lately. What about yours?

Yep! We're eating baked brown bag for dinner!

Okay, so I had to do something with all those apples we picked! I didn't like seeing all the half eaten apples on the floor that Ereland had "finished". So we decided to bake our own pie! Thanks to my super mom, this was a fabulous pie! Rich but good! Deffinately not "diet" food!

Too bad making anything in my small kitchen makes a BIG mess!

I hope I am not giving away any family secrets here but the recipe is this:

The Crumb Crust:

Mix together dry ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of flour

2 tsp. sugar

3/4 tsp. salt

Emulsify:

1/2 cup salad oil

2 tbs. milk

Add wet and dry mixtures together and piece into bottom of pie pan.

Filling:

6-12 apples depending on the size, tarter ones work better than sweeter ones to help balance out the taste.

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

2 tbs. (+) flour. Mom told me that this was what soaks up the juices. So if you have really juicy apples, you might want to add a little more. (I used Macintosh apples that were pretty dry and tart, and 1/3 of gala which were much sweeter and juicier. I added 3 tbs. of flour and that seemed to work out perfectly.)

Pour a heaping! pile of apples in the crusted pan. The apples will bake down so you want a pretty good stack!

Streusel Topping:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup butter

Mix these together until it makes a crumb like texture and pat on top of apples.

Carefully put the pie into a brown paper bag, and bake for at least 1 hr. 45 mins at 350 degrees.

Thanks Mom! I love you!