Pumpkin Challah Bread

I am a lover of pumpkin...I like it in my coffee, goodies, soups, stews, and now bread. It's addictive I tell you! I got this recipe for Pumpkin Challah off the JewishLearning.com site. They have an abundance of quite yummy dishes I have found, and this lovely bread lived up to par!

Shooting the Kids

I will admit, I love to shoot the kids on occassion, especially when they are least expecting it...rubber bands work great, water guns, hoses, the sprayer from the sink...they are all good tools of the trade. While I enjoy these fabulous ways of making my kids scream in shock because they didn't see it coming...I love to shoot them w/the camera too.

Several weeks ago, we watched as the trees went from the long lasting green to the sudden & short fall colors. We had been waiting, anxiously watching...because once they went, we knew we had to be ready to run. Fall pictures haven't happened for several years and it was apparent that I was slacking in my duties as "school photographer". Monday we woke to sunshine & a bounty of fall colors. There was a scurry in all the rooms & yells of "where is my ....." "MOoooooooooooOOOOOOOMMMM" We got it sorted, hair brushed & collars straightened...then one by one they came out of the house to the prepared areas & slowly we made our way around the outdoors snapping individual shots, correcting hair that was blowing, smoothing skirts, fixing the mum plants & trying to keep Jack out of the actual shot, all while being creative & getting good backgrounds. Finally we wore out our options at the house & piled into the truck for a trip to "the projects". This is a piece of state gamelands not far from our house that happens to be quite beautiful & rustic. Exactly what our family craves on a daily basis and hates to be so far removed from living in town. We drove from one spot I had spied over the last several months of driving through to get to grandma's house (yes, we drive over the river & through the woods to grandmothers house...no lie!). The kids did great, very patient with mom's nagging to put their chin down, now turn just a hair to the left, no right, no wait...
Once we finished, we had over 100 shots to peruse...I was shocked that for the first time, they were ALL good, the kids were honestly patient & willing to work with me, no fighting, no sobbing, no arguing, no tantrums. Could it possibly be that my babies are not "little impatient kids" anymore & have turned the corner into that "we like to have pictures taken of us being fashionista's"??? hmmmm...one could have fun with it if they have!!!
For now this will do...I have a sudden yearning to attempt "Christmas" photos...we'll see...it's a real possibility if they can handle the cold!!

Seasons End

When I played soccer, I was always sure I was ready for the season to end. Yet, when it came, I would sit & wonder what I was missing, sure I had forgotten something major & yet couldn't figure out what it was. Today we handed in Hunter's football uniform, had his pictures taken, banquet was last night...and so the "seasons end" begins. This week has been spent washing the multiple pants, cleaning pads, and preparing for the banquet, so despite not having practice each evening, there was still "stuff" to do, at least for me. I have watched Hunter start to wander aimlessly around the house like he is looking for something he feels he has misplaced.

As we waited for Hunter, the last one, to get his "individual" shots done at the field, we got to chat with his coach as we all stood in the rain. We thanked him for a great season, for saving my sanity by turning our otherwise "driving his mother out of her mind w/excessive energy" boy into a worn out, exhausted, football player. He laughed that laugh that says "I've heard this so many times, and been there myself". But he finished his good hearted chuckle by telling us that we have quite a football player. He served as the teams "utility" player this year, but coach, who has coached football for just shy of 50 years, told us w/a shake of his head, that its easy for him to see already that Hunter will be one of those amazing players & he is excited to watch him grow & play each year to see just how far he will take it.

What a proud mom & dad walked off that field...