Falling Leaves Cookies and Baby Shower Cookies

I thought these cookies were really cute! They were SO easy to do.


These cookies on a stick are for a baby shower on Sunday. Thank you Susan!

Have a great weekend everybody! We're off to a fall festival!

Our First Field Trip

This wasn't a normal field trip. The kind we used to go on where you had to wear uncomfortable name tags and the same color shirts, and where the teacher had to try and cram 30 lunches in 1 cooler. The only kids you will see in these pictures are John Merritt and Samuel. You see, we are a homeschool family. John Merritt started 4 year old kindergarten on August 16th. And Samuel, well, he's only 16 months, but he's already reading. Just kidding. He does join us for bits and pieces of our lessons. And he'll go over to the calendar and make grunting noises while pointing to the different numbers. Yes, we homeschool and we LOVE it! Because what school would let you go on a field trip dressed like THIS!

We homeschool using the Principle Approach. Our curriculum is structured by Biblical principles and leading ideas. One principle that we've been learning a great deal about since we began in August is God's principle of individuality. By studying this truth, we learn that each created thing has a unique identity from God. There's much more I could share about that, but I'll move on. In literature, we've been reading The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter. Most of the story takes place in Mr. McGreggor's garden. What better place to see this principle of individuality displayed than a vegetable garden? In fact, a garden is so rich in biblical principle display, I could go on and on! But I'll keep moving.
Well, the season is past for vegetables, but I happen to pass by the Cooperative Extension office earlier in the week, and I noticed they had overgrown lettuce and cabbage growing around their flag pole. Peter Rabbit LOVED lettuce, so we thought we'd swing by and take a look. Come to find out, they have an entire "teaching garden" where most of the plants are labeled. What a beautiful display of God's diversity and they even labeled it for us! John Merritt took some of these photos. He's quite the photographer. Our friend Allison would be proud.
What happened to this cabbage I don't know. Any cabbage growers out there? I'm thinking this is what it looks like when you just let it do whatever.You can see some type of lettuce behind the cabbage plant.

This plant was really neat. It's common name is "lamb's ear" and that's exactly what it felt like when you petted it.
Samuel loved the huge stepping stones.
Here's a muscadine vine.
Sam's checking out that evergreen. It felt really neat too.
Look at these big gourds that were hanging from a tree.
They even had a little water feature.
Look at those colors! Wow God, that's pretty! Thank you for creating all of these neat plants. Thank you for making these purple and not green.
Can you tell Samuel doesn't like it when John Merritt tries to make him stand still?
And why do these "put your arm around your brother" shots never work out? Could you help me out on that one Allison?
It was a great first field trip and I'm looking forward to many more. But you know, I didn't have to go very far to see God's beautiful principle of individuality...I'm living with one special little individual.

God made me Special.
Like no one else you see.
He made me a witness,
to His diversity.
Rosalie Slater

Recent Sweets

I thought I would post pictures of my baking projects from the last couple of weeks. I've posted most of these on facebook, so facebookers, these will be a repeat for you.
If you wonder how I do all of this baking while home schooling and caring for 2 active boys, just scroll down to the end of this post.

These cute apple cookies were for a kindergartner's "Apple Day" at Burlington Day School. Thank you Katy!

As you can tell, I'm obsessed with baking. I saw these on another blog and had to give them a go last night. They're called "cupcookies". cute!


Here's a baby shower cake that was for a "girly girl." Thank you Ashley!
Elmo cake for a cute 2 year old birthday girl. Thanks Andrea! see you in class on Wed.
Bridal shower cake. Thank you Stacy!
Dora the Explorer for a 6th birthday. Thank you Ms. Ann!
Mickey cake and matching cookies for Bryson. Thanks again Ashley!


And here's what the baby does while I bake!

Just kidding! I bake and decorate when the boys are asleep, 99% of the time.

The Coonskin Cap

My litter sister Katie is a real gem. She’s spunky,

funny, generous, loving (here she is with her hubby Eric)and is the poster child for good self-esteem. I always remember Katie never being worried about what other people would think. Here's Katie and my dad when she was probably 7 or 8. If she liked it she wore it, did it, or said it. That’s just how she was and still is to this day, confident; a quality that tends to escape me now and then.

I remember one particular incident that that will forever remain in the family memory hall of fame. It was a hot summer day and little Katie had an appointment at the dentist office. Like me, she was a tom boy (notice the camo, shotgun, and dinner she scored)and on Sundays was forced to wear “Cinderella” dresses to church. But this day was not Sunday, therefore Katie wore the outfit of choice. And on this day Katie decided to round out her outfit with a coonskin cap. Who in their right mind gave her that cap, I can’t remember. But Katie liked it, therefore she wore it. My granddad was her chauffeur on that day so of course he let her go into the dentist office wearing that cap. The dentist still reminds us each time a family member visits the office of the day Katie wore the cap. He said it was all he could do to keep from laughing and work on her in that coonskin cap, with sweat pouring down her face. But, Katie liked the cap, and that was all that mattered to her. Like I said, Katie was, and still is a real gem!

And just for good measure, Katie, here are some photos I just could resist tagging onto this post!Love You!

A Mommy's Prayer

Thank you Jesus for cake batter.
Thank you Jesus for little teeth and chubby hands.
Thank you Jesus for grins and giggles.

And thank you Lord, for dirty faces.
Thank you Lord for giving me days when it really doesn't matter if our hair is messy.
Thank you Jesus for red boots and silliness.
Thank you Jesus for children. Amen

Recipe Roundup

I thought I would share a yummy and unique cookie recipe. It's so simple, yet you'll have people asking you "how did you do that?" They really are delicious and very addictive. Good thing this recipe makes about 7 dozen. Another GREAT point about these cookies is that they are inexpensive to make. Thanks Aunt Hilda for sharing this great recipe. Let me know how yours turn out!

Lacy Oatmeal Cookies
You will need:
1 1/2 cups oatmeal (quick or regular)
1 stick butter or margerine
3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg

Melt the stick of butter and mix it into the oats.
Next, add all other ingredients and mix well.
Then, on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, use a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon to measure our tiny little balls of dough. The dough is runny, so I scoop it up with the measuring spoon and scrape it out with a teaspoon onto the paper. Using parchment paper and only scooping out 1/2 teaspoon at a time are of the utmost importance in this recipe.
Make sure you leave plenty of room between cookies. They spread quite a bit.
Bake at 350 for 8 to 10 min depending on your oven. The edges should be slightly, just slightly browned.
Let them cool completely before handling. They are thin and delicate, and oh so yummy!

You can see from this picture why they call them "lacy" oatmeal cookies. You'll have people asking for them.
So why don't you try a batch, and take some to a friend that's feeling down. I know cookies always make me smile!
Meredith