Pumpkin Patch trip

We visited one of our local Pumpkin Patches this weekend! The kids had such a blast, a huge difference from last year when they were still mastering walking and had a hard time walking around looking for pumpkins!

They probably could have stayed out in that pumpkin patch for hours hunting for their perfect pumpkin, Ava found this one pumpkin (it's the ugliest little thing) but insisted on getting it so well it's sitting on our front porch.  The loved getting to feed the goats and getting their little hands on a fresh apple fritter (don't worry we washed between the two ;)). 

Taking advantage of our gorgeous weather

I think this is it mom!

I can carry it myself

Ava and her ugly little pumpkin

cheesin

A rare smile picture from this one

Fun mom, again again

We had so much fun we will probably go again before the season is over!

Family Pictures 2012

In September our good friend Kristina took our family photos! I look forward to this every time we have her take pictures, we text back and forth and decide what colors are good, where the location should be and everything else! She is an amazing photographer and if you live here in the PNW I seriously recommend giving her a call for your pictures too, you can check out more of her work here.

I have so many favorites that I can't even decide what to frame!

You see my problem! And this is only a few of the 100+ she took! She is truly amazing!

Project Pinterest- Pumpkin Bread

So I don't have a crafty bone in my body but I am a good cook, so most of my pinterest projects are food related.  It's my most popular board. I try a lot of things from there too.

This last week with the weather changing and fall being ushered in by the changing leaves I wanted to do some baking, so I went to Pinterest to find a yummy fall recipe that I could make with what I had on hand.

I found this recipe From Sweet Pea's Kitchen and decided it sounded yummy!

I followed the recipe except I did substitute the walnuts for pecans because it is what I had, also this would taste amazing with no nuts and with cream cheese frosting (which I am going to try next)

Ingredients:

For the Pumpkin Bread:
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup water
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin spice
1 cup walnuts (optional)

For the Spiced Glaze:
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pinch ground ginger
1 pinch ground cloves

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9x5 inch loaf pans.
In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, butter, water, sugars and vanilla until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, pumpkin spice and walnuts. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
Bake in preheated oven 45-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
While the pumpkin bread is cooling, combine all of the ingredients for the spiced glaze. Drizzle over bread and allow the icing to dry before serving (about an hour).
Keep pumpkin bread tightly wrapped in plastic wrap to retain freshness.

finished product

 This one was a real winner, the kids loved it and hubs approved!

When Your Two Year Old Asks To Go To The Zoo

You go, right?

Landon on Friday was reading an animal book and all of the sudden stated that he wanted to go to the zoo, well we didn't have any big plans for Saturday so we decided if he asks to go then we will go.  Plus how can you say no to this face!

 Landon could probably sit and watch the sharks all day long, he will look up and say "Whoa, look at big one", he loves the animals.  Ava loves to look at the fish and tell us what colors they are.  I really can't believe how big they are getting some days. The walruses were really active too, he loved how they would swim right past him.

We received our zoo membership for the twins' birthday and I am so glad that we mentioned it to my Grandma as something they would love.  It helps because we can go first thing in the morning when they are happy and wide awake and we don't feel bad if we only stay for 1 or 2 hours and only go and see the animals that they are always talking about.

Both Ava and Landon asked to take this little guy home

We had a fun morning at the zoo and then finished the day with dinner at a friends home and a movie night for the kids! It was adorable!