Walnuts

We have a walnut tree in our back yard. Our back yard is tiny so when the walnuts fall...they cover our entire yard. I went back to pick them up one day and starting counting how many I picked up. Patrick came back when he got off work and I told him if he wanted to help he'd have to count as well. He was hesitant but gave in when I begged. For some reason I just was curious to see how many there were.

Well we picked them all up using plastic bags to protect our hands (walnuts turn your skin black). When it was all said and done we had 615 walnuts in garbage bags. 615! And there are still more in that blasted tree... after todays wind they are probably all on our ground. Maybe I'll count again when I pick those up. How many walnuts can one tree produce????

And here is my sweet husband and pup

Fall with Friends

A few weeks ago our friends Brian and Danielle hosted a chili cook off. It was a great fall day out and we enjoyed lots of good company and food. It's kind of funny how when we met all these people we were all newly weds and none of us had kiddos. Now we all have kids and they consume my pictures:) Here are a few from the night. I should have taken some pictures of all that yummy chili.
Don't our friends have adorable kids. Hopefully they will all be our little girl's friends even though they'll be about a year older.

B-A-N-A-N-A-S

I can never eat all my bananas before they go bad. Patrick tries to help but often just forgets that we have them. Well I never throw away brown bananas. I just can't. I think it's because my mom always have a freezer full of them. Well once I have about 5 stored up... I make banana bread. And it is yummy. This recipe is from my aunt mel.

German Banana Bread

2 c sugar
2 sticks butter
2 eggs
1 c sour cream
3-4 ripe bananas (I use more)
3 c self rising flour
1 c pecans
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 c milk

Blend sugar and butter. Add additional ingredients. Mix well. Grease and flour 2 loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 1 hr. **Remove from pans immediately and wrap with foil**


The sour cream and that last part about wrapping in foil while hot are the key things about this recipe. It turns out extremely moist and delicious. I really wish I had some right now actually. SAD.

Thoughts

Here's a post of randomness. Beware

The Lord has been very kind to Patrick and I this week. Some of you may remember that about a month ago Patrick had an incident/accident in which his car was messed up and we had to pay $420 to get it fixed. This incident wasn't our fault... it was due to construction being done to the road. I pursued the city to see if they'd pay for it. They told me it wasn't their fault and to contact the construction company. I did. They said it wasn't their fault and to contact the miling? company. I did. They said not their fault.... back to the construction company I went. I bugged and bugged and called and emailed and emailed. Well finally I got an email back yesterday saying that.... THEY ARE PAYING US BACK! Wooo HOO! I know that my persistence helped but I see it as more than that. The Lord provided for us yet again! Praise the Lord!

This weekend is going to be packed. We are hopefully going to get to visit with friends (Alex and Clint and new baby Sawyer) for dinner. Saturday is cleaning and at 4 I'm taking family pictures for some friends 5.30 is a baby shower for friends adopting from Ethiopia (!!!!) and then at 7 we are going to our friend's annual pumpkin carving/chili eating/apple cider drinking party. Sunday is church and care group. Then back to work on Monday.

I feel like all the weekends coming up are going to be this way. They are packed with baby showers (for friends and myself) and random ceremonies like my older bro graduating from the police academy. Then it's Thanksgiving and then its DUE DATE!

46 days till my due date. I'm kind of betting I go early. We'll see.

I went to my first class at the hospital yesterday. It was called "Planning a Natural Childbirth." It wasn't what I expected. I guess I was expecting more of a methods class and thats not what it was. It was more of a stages/phases of labor class with random info about going natural. I'm still glad I went. It makes me feel like this is all more real. Even though my tummy is huge and I feel a kid kicking in there often at times it just doesn't seem real.

I told Patrick last night I am getting more and more excited with each passing day to meet this babe. The anxiety of my lack of ability to be a mom is lessening with each day.

I think I'm done with my rambling. Happy Friday.

feeling a little on the lopsided side of things

It never ceases to amaze me the way this girl moves. (and yes this HURT)

Lunch time happiness

Knitting outside on a perfect fall day is well PERFECT. Thank you lunch break!

p.s. this day is P.O.K.I.N.G by very slowly... hurry up already.

McBroom Family

Nathan and Abigail are some great friends of ours. They have a 10 month little girl who I love to hold and squeeze:) They are both wonderful photographers and I was honored that they asked me to take a few family photos for them. Here are a few from this past weekend at Cherokee park.

P.S. This girl is part of the reason for my loving the name Abigail so much:)