10 photos on a special 10th day

yesterday was january 10th.

fifteen years ago yesterday, i married my honey on the COLDEST day of the year!

the bubbles we had were freezing in the air and dropping to the ground!

my husbands tricky brother lathered our old car with butter and food.

yum.

we left our reception early because i hate being the center of attention.

i'm thankful for days like yesterday.

days that aren't out of the ordinary, but yet, they are.

days we remember and reflect on years gone by, and all of the blessings that we have experienced.

but not without heartache.

when you're in the middle of 'life', it's so hard to see things in the big picture, but looking back, our vision seems 20/20.

we can see how God led, protected, and why He allowed the things He did.

i'm SO thankful that He is in control!

here's our day yesterday.

we arent fancy.

i woke up excited to give my honey his small things, all handmade because that's how we roll around here.

i made him this card from inspiration i saw on pinterest.

it's true!

our lil jackaroo!  how cute is he?

he tortures his mama in the best way. makes me smile every time.

those eyes!

nathan + mary = true love  :)

i don't know where this came from, but it was good.

PROOF that God knows what we need, when we need it.

i sold a few things on consignment and it came to me at JUST the right time!

stress relief.

old hymns are the best.

mid day mess.

the cutest goodies arrived for henry's foxxy party on monday!

#mybabyisturningseven wahhhhhhhh!

the look on kit cats face says it all!

free cheesecake?  

why, sure!

i loved watching my family laughing all together at the table last night.

this is what life is all about.

it's also about paper plates at every meal.

i told you, we're not fancy!

;)

so there you have it.

it was a good, good day.

:)

xo,

mary

10 on 10:::october

a day in the life of a crazy home schoolin' family...

one hour at a time.

of course henry chose this guy.  wouldn't you?

 out my dirrrrrty bedroom window

my favorite

 school cuddles with the normally 'un'cuddly one

 pf chang leftover pad thai

better fresh

 rocks?  candy?  both!

 class clown

hearty giggles

preparing supper is better with new earrings

hymn playing

auntie visiting

xo,

mary

linking with rebekah

some weeks are weird

last week was a weird week.

it was full of things out of the norm, like unexpected doctor visits, tooth extractions and an impromptu pumpkin patch visit preceeded by a vomiting child in my van.  yay!

now that the dust has settled, let's break it down, shall we?

first of all, last monday night, i found out that my husband was not going to have his normal tuesday off.

enter immediate bad attitude and pouting on my part.  

i had plans and that was TOTALLY messing with it.

fall is my absolute favorite season and the flip has officially switched over here.  

i love the smells, the colors, the comfortable feeling of bundling up in my favorite tube socks and sweaters and lighting my harvest pumpkin candle.  i love the wheat, pumpkins, bittersweet, crisp leaves and cinnamon coffee.  the apple crisp in the oven, cider brewing and warm simmering soups are just so very wonderful!

it's all so comforting to me.

so is going to the pumpkin patch.  and that is what i really wanted to do with nathan on tuesday, but it just couldn't happen, so the kids and i went alone. enter sad, pouty face.

also, does anyone want squash?  :)

so the kiddos and i made our way into town, despite my youngest having a tummy ache that morning.  he perked up and was acting fine, but apparently all was not well, because right on this street, when we had just made the 45 minute trip into town, he threw up.

so naturally, i took a picture.

after that, he felt totally fine, so we proceeded to head to the food co-op where they have all sorts of amazing pumpkin varieties and the price tags reflect their uniqueness, too. 

we did not buy our pumpkins here, but it was fun looking.  :)

fast forward a few days, and a whole lotta school in the middle and a double doctor visit which resulted in a tube of anti fungal cream for ringworm, and a hefty dose of electrolytes for my son(the puker) who was dehydrated. if that's not weird, i don't know what is.

friday was doomsday for me(draaaamaaa).  

i have had a troublesome tooth for some time now and it finally had to go.

this non morning girl had to get up at 5:00 a.m.

this whole extraction thing was a borderline traumatic experience for me.  like all of the pulling and tugging and cutting and stitching???  yikes!  also. i will never regrow that tooth.  i miss him already. 

apparently it wasn't traumatic enough to not take advantage of shopping afterwards, but once that novacaine wore off, i was ready.for.bed.  

thankfully by saturday i felt pretty normal again which seemed like a small miracle considering how i felt on friday.

so saturday i spent the day with the kids around the house.  sipping cinnamon coffee and listening to our favorite hymns while cleaning and rearranging a little.  i had my clearance target candle i bought the day before burning, and i stayed in my comfy jammies all day.  isn't that the best??

now is the time to go to hobby lobby for fall decor!  it's pretty much all 50% off. 

and target had the cutest grapevine pumpkins and wire baskets in their $1-$2.50 section.

sunday we spent the day at church and then my in laws for dinner like always.

reason #4567 to love fall?

BOOTS.

and these are my favorite!!!

don't you wish you're mother in law was my mother in law right now?  ;)

with 10 children and a husband who critiques her to perfection(inside joke), these pies are nothing less than amazing.

seriously.  you can be sure that everything that is in this pie was somehow made by her hands.  the lard she cooks down for the crust, the apples from their tree...she is a pioneer woman for sure.

she is also very wise.  

when her children were younger, she wanted to make sundays special, a day set apart, so she started making huge sunday dinners with ALL the fixins.  something for the kids to look forward to.

i feel totally blessed to be able to take part in this tradition today.

i have sat down many a time at her dinner table and felt an overwhelming feeling of blessing for all the work and diligence that goes into what's before me.

the reap a large harvest every year and they work so hard for it.

so last week had it's weird parts, but there were lots of normal, great parts, too.  

now it's wednesday of a new week alreadddyyyyyy!

time just flies to fast for this girl sometimes and it seems like the only thing i'm really good at some days is being behind.  yes, i'm consistently behind.  :)

do you ever feel that way?

xo,

mary

'round here and the best chocolate peanut butter pie recipe in the universe!

'round here we've been sleeping in and cuddling with little people who like to sneak into my bed.

'round here sisters have been getting along(mostly!) and spending time together.

this photo was not staged.  

amen.

'round here we entertain heroes at breakfast.

'round here i've been fluffing and cutting fresh blooms off of my bushes.

'round here i've been nursing a broken/disjointed pinky toe.  

i stubbed it on an old metal school chair one night and thought i was going to die.

#criedfordays

over two weeks later, it's finally healing!

'round here brothers have been playing well(for the most part)

and can you even believe how big they are getting?

i can totally see how they will look when they grow up in this picture.

little men in the making.

'round here we took a trip to our favorite thrift and it didn't disappoint.

$12 later, we had all this and much more.

maddie found the perfect vintage birthday gifts for her friend and eleanor found two 

long skirts(dad approved) that are super cute!

'round here(in an effort to rest my toe) and hang out with the kids more, we watched my favorite movie #ofalltime,
pride and prejudice.

can you say couch potato?

'round here the kids have been painting quite a bit.

a little summer art, if you will.

'round here we brushed up on our schoolwork.  

everyone is thrilled as you can see.  :)

'round here, i have been loving this IKEA mag.

i can find about 10 places i would put that fabric covered hanging lamp and so much more.

 

'round here we have been trying a whole lot of new recipes.

and some people don't appreciate the abundance of eggplant and summer squash in their soup.

#rude

so a few weeks ago, i went and bought a smash book with the intention to use it for a special recipe book.

then i saw carissa had done the same thing!

how cool is that?

my girls hunted down a recipe for silken chocolate peanut butter pie that was dairy free, so it met the qualifications to go in the smash recipe book....IF we made it and loved it.

well, we made it, ate it, loved it.

end of story.

now you have to, too.

SILKEN CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER PIE 

1 cup non dairy dark chocolate chips

1 package tofu(we used 12 oz. firm tofu)

2/3 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup evaporated cane juice(i'm going to try agave nectar next time)

1/2 tsp. vanilla

graham cracker crust

you can make your own which would be best using earth balance instead of butter

OR

you can buy one at the store like we did for times sake and just make sure you pick one with the least amount of ingredients(no dairy for us)

1.  melt chocolate chips on low heat...let cool

2.  place tofu, peanut butter, sugar and vanilla in food processor or blender until smooth.

3.  add cooled chocolate and blend again

4.  pour into crust and refrigerate until firm.

5.  garnish with raw peanuts

i kid you not, this pie tastes like the dreamiest reeses peanut butter pie EVER.

there will never be enough of it.

ever.

hope you try it!

xo, 

mary

10 on 10:::august blessings

it's about that time again...

Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

Psalm 127:3

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven...

Matthew 6:19-20a

Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 19:14

I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

I Corinthians 3:6

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

Psalm 19:1

O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Psalm 136:1

O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

Psalm 34:8

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

Psalm 139:14

Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things [are] naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Hebrews 4:13

 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;

 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

Matthew 9:37-38

blessings to you all...

we're off to taste as much summer as we possibly can before it's gone!

xo,

mary