Well, Howdy Darlin’s! I’ve been out gathering happy Fall blessings right here in the Ozarks! As much as I enjoy staying home and being delightfully domestic, especially this time of year, I also love to go on exciting adventures! Recently, I went with my sister-in-law Linda down south to Arkansas for some food, fun and flea-marketing! Since it was my birthday she treated me to all kinds of yummy goodness! Wooo-weee! We had a good ol’ time!
These were the yummiest pumpkin muffins I have ever tasted! The middle was filled with cream cheese frosting.
Yeah, we had one of those don’t-cha- know!
Inside felt like a big ol’ barn. Lots of wood beams and rusty corrugated metal.
We chose to share this little room off to the side with these sweet Mennonite gals.
Delicious homemade Tomato Basil Soup and Three cheese Pizza was my choice for lunch.
It’s so fun having a sister-in-law that loves the same things I do!
Here’s the cute bathroom…take a look at the mirror…it’s a vintage fireplace mantle! What a great idea!
After we shared one of those aMaZiNg pumpkin muffins with cream cheese frosting filling, we headed out to the Junk-shun Barn and to a few other antique/flea markets. I can’t believe I forgot to take pictures! I guess we were just havin’ too much fun! I did find a darling handbag from the 1950’s in like-new condition for $12! I need a vintage outfit to go with it now! I think I’ll call my vintage fashion-ista expert, my dear friend Cat from The Vintage Housewife who dresses in the cutest vintage clothes daily! I’ll get some tips from her…she knows a lot about vintage fashion…she’s aDoRaBlE!
We worked up quite an appetite and ended up at this darlin’ little Amish Bakery called The Homey Hearth for my Birthday dessert …the pumpkin muffin didn’t count :D
We shared a slice of Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie….my oh my!! Scrumptious!!
AND a slice of Chocolate Meringue Pie! YUM!
The Amish Bakery was the perfect spot to relax and chat like girls do!
That evening my hubby took our family to Big Cedar Lodge for my birthday dinner. If you ever come to Branson, Missouri this is the place to stay, or at the very least go visit the grounds and have a meal…it is breathtaking and oh so charming!!
The sun setting on the lake…
The winding road has two quaint waterfalls that you drive through...
The guests were provided with a campfire cookout…
and a romantic buggy ride as the sun set.
The restaurant that we dined at feels like an old cabin in the woods…
Rustic decor and a huge rock fireplace…
And another cozy one on the other end of the room…
My son Dusty and daughter in law Kimmy and grandson Kade came! Since this was a special occasion, little Kade wore his bow tie! Kimmy’s friend had the great idea of taking a little white Onesie and sewed a wee little bow tie to it. Kade looked so adorable and handsome in it with his little suspender pants!
I love being with my family! Of course I missed my other son J.J. and daughter in law Tiffany who live in California, and my daughter Ashley, her hubby Glen and my other wonderful grandson Johnny who lives in Kansas now. They are always in my heart and prayers. I treasure the times when we can all be together.
Just this past weekend I gathered more Harvest time blessings…
One of our family traditions is to visit the pumpkin patch.
We’ve done this since my kids were babies. Now I have the fun of going with my grand babies!
Dusty (my web site designer son) Kimmy (amazing mama) and Kade Austin, grammy’s sweet boy.
My little pumpkin in his farmer boy overalls!
Hmmm…which pumpkin should I pick? Oh, I see the perfect one!!
Summer Rose found one!
Such sweetness that boy! Kade is two months…fresh from Heaven!
Kade did not want to be the Scare Crow! Oh honey! Grammy will make it all better!
“There is music in the meadows, in the air– Autumn is here…”
~William Stanley Braithwaite
“Summer’s loss seems little, dear, on days like these.”
~ Ernest Dowson
“October…the artist’s paradise of wonder and beauty.
Harvest at its fullest.
Getting in the corn.
Stacking the wood for the long winter.
The falling leaves in a silent benediction,
like blessings that have fallen upon us all year long”.
~ George Matthew Adams
“October gave a party; The leaves by hundreds came–
The Chestnuts, Oaks and Maples, And leaves of every name.”
~George Cooper
Hayride
“Tis the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.”
~Laura Ingalls Wilder
Oh the fun of the Corn Maze!
Grandpa strolling Kade through the Corn Maze…precious!
The Perfect Pumpkin indeed! What a happy day this was!
To all of the mama’s out there, I just want to encourage you to keep up the good work! Keep putting forth the effort to make family life happy. With all of the challenges you face in raising your family, they are worth it! The seeds of love and joy that you plant today in your family will someday bring you a bountiful harvest of more love and joy. Pick at least one tradition you can do with your family each season. Something you’ll all look forward to each year. Take pictures! Celebrate the seasons! Make it part of who you are as a family. “Our family enjoys_____ each fall…that is what we do”. When I was growing up my dad made pancakes every Saturday morning. It’s the little things done with love that make happy memories.
As a mama of four, I know there are days when you feel like pulling your hair out! Trust. Me. I. Know! (see what I mean in the picture above…Ashley has always been EXTRA creative!!)…
(and here…Summer helped herself to some pie) I just want to tell ya, hang in there darlin’! Our children are only with us for a season…make the most of that season! Before you know it they’ll be off living life on their own, hopefully with warm memories of home.
Three of my children are married now and on their own. In the past two weeks my “harvest” came in from the seeds I planted years ago…a harvest that blessed the socks off of this mama’s heart…
My son J.J., age 24, who is newly married living in California sent me this text out of the blue. “Mommas homemade smell good recipe” along with a picture of orange peels, cinnamon, and cloves simmering on the stove. I couldn’t believe it!! My rough and tumble boy actually noticed that in years past (before yummy-smelling candles) I would simmer these ingredients to make my house smell good. He remembered! What?? That was a heartfelt harvest right there! Yay!! I love that he wanted his house to smell like “home”!
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