As the name of my blog indicates, I spend a lot of time thinking about home. Of course, my Heavenly Home is the one that is eternal, so that’s where I need to lay up my treasures, and that’s the one I’m striving for. But in the meantime, I have been given this tiny piece of the here-and-now—this home on the edge of town, this family, this neighborhood—in which to serve Him. And, though this is in the earthly realm, I want the things that happen here to be investments in the Heavenly realm.




Friday, October 27, 2017

A Weekend Breakfast: Pumpkin Spice Baked Oatmeal


During the week, breakfast is a fend-for-yourself affair, with everyone rising at different times and some of us heading out the door early. We often satisfy our cravings for breakfasty foods with breakfast-for-dinner. But sometimes it's fun to try a little something special on a Saturday morning. 


On a recent Saturday morning, Pumpkin Spice Baked Oatmeal was on the menu! I had come across this recipe over at StoneGable and I couldn't wait to try it. 

(StoneGable is a fabulous house-y blog! If you haven't been there before, go have a look around. Maybe while your oatmeal is baking. 😉)


So thoroughly fallish and yummy!


Even though I am not particularly fond of oatmeal, baked oatmeal is another story. And pumpkin spice baked oatmeal . . . yes, please!


Ron and I loved it. The girls, not so much. 

That's okay, because that meant that Ron and I could have all the leftovers!


Because another great thing is that it reheats well. Pop a bowl into the microwave on a weekday morning, and you have a warm, yummy breakfast ready in seconds. 



PUMPKIN SPICE BAKED OATMEAL


Ingredients:
1 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups milk
2 1/2 cups dry old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup raisins (I omitted those)


Directions: 
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2) In a large mixing bowl, add pumpkin, brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, salt, baking powder, and vanilla; whisk together.
Add milk and whisk until incorporated.

3) Stir in oats, pecans, and raisins. 

4) Spray an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray. Pour mixture into dish.
(I used a 2.5 quart casserole dish.) 

5) Bake for 45 minutes until done. 

6) Serve hot with milk or cream.




Do you have a favorite weekend breakfast? 

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Kayaking


When it's a glorious autumn day . . . and your son and his family are camping . . . and four of the cousins are also joining in the fun . . . and you are invited to come for the day (not to sleep over) (in a tent) (too old for that) . . . and there is a picnic lunch . . . and three kayaks . . . 


















. . . then you're glad that you came and gathered such memory-making moments!

Monday, October 23, 2017

Autumn Visitor










A lover of all things autumn, I was thrilled to see this brave little guy on our front doorstep! 

At The Farmhouse, which was surrounded by fields, we saw only a couple of squirrels in thirty-five years. At Pineapple House, however, they are regular visitors. I don't mind at all. Their antics are quite entertaining!

Here is a poem my oldest used to love as a child. I can still hear her sweet little voice reading it . . . 

Whisky, frisky,
Hippity hop;
Up he goes
To the tree top!
Whirly, twirly,
Round and round,
Down he scampers
To the ground.
Furly, curly
What a tail!
Tall as a feather
Broad as a sail!
Where's his supper?
In the shell,
Snappity, crackity,
Out it fell.


Thursday, October 19, 2017

Music From the Birthday Celebration


Music makes great family memories!




We played the song "Sing, Sing, Sing" which was recorded by Benny Goodman the year my dad was born. I suppose the song is timeless because Macie loved it and danced along. So cute! 




Daddy loves music and always asks Bekah to play. We treated him (and everyone else) to a mini concert at his birthday party

First, Maddie (13) and Owen (11) sang "Living Waters" by Keith and Kristin Getty as Kristin accompanied on the piano. 



Eve (10) sang and played "The Lord is My Salvation," also by the Gettys.



Nora (8) sang and played "This Is My Father's World."



Bekah had played the hymn "Face to Face" on the piano. Then a group of us decided to sing along: Mom, me, my sister Linda, and Ron. 


Praise the Lord for the gift of music! 

* Thanks to Kati for recording and sharing these clips!


Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Sunday Snapshots: Eighty and Nine!


This weekend we celebrated the October birthdays: our grandson Ben who recently turned 9, and my dad who is now 80! 


I don't have time for a lot of words this morning, so I think I'll let the pictures tell the tale . . . 


























Thanks to my sister Linda for this photo! 

Notice Ben's face as his "9" candle toppled in the middle of the birthday song! 😁








After gifts were opened, we had a mini concert! Kati recorded some excerpts and I am hoping to share a few in a separate blog post once she has some time to upload them to her YouTube channel.

It was a good day for celebrating those we love!


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