something sweet: bananas!

We have officially gone bananas for frozen bananas!  There is a tiny little place downtown that sells frozen bananas all dressed up with things like chocolate, nuts, toffee, sprinkles and more. 

The kids were intrigued by the makings of a frozen banana treat.  They watched intently as their hand-picked creations came to life at the banana stand.

Then the enjoyment of frozen banana treats begun. 

They were amazing.  Way better than any sort of ice cream treat.

Because these treats were so well-liked and relatively healthy, I thought we should try to make them at home.  

We broke bananas in half and stuck the back end of a plastic spoon in the middle before freezing them on cookie trays.  After the bananas froze, I put them into freezer Ziploc bags to store them in the freezer.

Next, we took Ghirardelli chocolate chips {I like the 60% cacao kind because they aren't too sweet} and melted them in a shallow bowl in the microwave.  Be careful not to burn them.  Stop mid-way and stir the mixture.

Then, we chopped up salted peanuts.

via

Finally, we took the frozen banana sticks and dipped them into the melted chocolate and followed that with chopped nuts.  

It was a glorious dessert at home but nothing compares to the weird sort of things you might see downtown at night...

zinnias and a few pumpkins

We headed west to a charming pumpkin patch but instead found flowers.  

We picked for hours at the delight of our little pickers on a sunny and cool fall day.  They filled plastic cups as full as they could with bright blooms.

We found the pumpkins too but somehow they seemed a lot less interesting compared to the rows and rows of fresh flowers that begged to be picked.  

In preparation for the upcoming holiday, we found a few pumpkins that seemed to need a good home on our front doorstep.  Those few were far bigger than the "you-need-to-be-able-to-carry-it-yourself" rule but Momma caved when the pumpkins they picked were full of character with hardy stems, lots of lines and odd shaped.

It is always nice to spend the day away finding new adventures together in the country.

two

You began to smile and we all lit up!  Somehow, getting that cue from you makes us all relax and know that you are enjoying us as much as we are enjoying you. 

special day

Dressed in an absurdly long and fluffy dress{just like your sisters}, we celebrate your baptism.  We do it just like our parents did and look forward to this day as an entire family with each new birth.  We pull down the christening gown that many others wore and a new name is sewn on the hem.

With family close-by, we will hold you as water is poured on your tiny head at the front of the church and God's love washes over you.

  

Songs will be sung, candles lit and prayers will be said.  

What a special day indeed.

swinging into fall

"Delicious autumn!  My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns."  ~George Eliot

It's here!
 Autumn, with it's beautiful breezes and warm colors, is finally here.
She can't wait to return to the park without the hot sun scorching the rubber seats of the swing.
She looks forward to some long-awaited rides in the stroller.
She wants to wear a jacket to school.
They want to travel north to pick apples at Aunt Winnie's {maybe next year}.
They want to visit the pumpkin patch in the front lawn of a beautiful old church.
Little costume ideas have found their way into our conversations these days too.

And I can't wait to watch it all unfold before their little eyes!
{and bake some pumpkin muffins too}

What are you awaiting this season?

september sky

There is nothing I love more than this changing season with dramatic weather and skies that take your breath away.  Changing colors of rust and orange that later fade to gray and brown delight my senses. I am eager for this long-awaited change.

clip clop at 10 o'clock

Regardless of the hour, this little one has discovered what she likes to do when her bedroom door is shut and she should be sleeping...

She is ever-so quiet as she adorns herself with plastic accessories, satin and tulle. 

For hours she pretends and imagines until she makes her debut...

and last night, that was 10 o'clock!