As promised...

Here are some photos of my recent projects :)

Pumpkin Topiary

Decorated Front Porch (please notice my "Halloween Fern")

Fall Blooms

Indian Summer

This weekend was GORGEOUS! The leaves started changing this weekend, and I'm proud to say I wasn't too far off from my prediction! A week off isn't bad! I was telling the Hubs how this was a beautiful Indian Summer weekend, and he had no clue what I was talking about. For you other non-country folk who don't know what I'm talking about, click here and get the deets.

Anyways, it was a beautiful fall weekend, and what better way to celebrate than with baking lots and lots of pumpkin deliciousness. I held true to my word and made pumpkin butter, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, and pumpkin crepes...I kinda sound like Bubba Gump Shrimp, or should I say Bubba Pump-Kin...laying on the cheese thick this Monday afternoon :)

Pumpkin Butter

Pumpkin Crepes topped with Pumpkin Butter

A bit much

Ok, I like tights and stockings as much as the next person. In fact, I'm rockin' a pair of gold tights right now. And ya know I LOVE pumpkins. But tights and pumpkins together?? I just don't know about that...

For the love of Pumpkin!

“Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.” ~ Jim Davis

Man, oh man, I love pumpkins. Like in an unhealthy sort of way. The Hubs will concur. Our front porch, which I must take a pic of and post, is decked out in at least 15 pumpkins, my fern has orange Christmas lights strung around it, and fake cobwebs and glittery spiders adorn our door. Once you enter into the house, I've got hurricanes filled with candy corn and a candle in the center, pumpkin scented candles, and then...there's my creepy pumpkin statues...

I LOVE CREEPY PUMPKIN STATUES! It's true. If I had money, I'd buy this one from etsy.

And this one...

In my last post, I mentioned that I'm cooking a lot of pumpkiny nom nom stuff. Tonight, I'm making pumpkin bread and pumpkin muffins. Then on the weekend, I'm making a pumpkin latte, pumpkin butter, pumpkin crepes and miniature pumpkin pies! I know this seems like a WHOLE LOTTA pumpkin, but I blame it on my mother. She bought me like 8 cans of pumpkin and I have to do something with them, right!?

p.s. I also like Jack Handy quotes and there's nothing greater than pumpkins AND Jack Handy quotes - “If you're in a war, instead of throwing a hand grenade at the enemy, throw one of those small pumpkins. Maybe it'll make everyone think how stupid war is, and while they are thinking, you can throw a real grenade at them.”

Happy Heart

"Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls." ~ Mother Teresa

Craziness in the Calamity J household! I am working a full-time job and doing 2 Bible studies this fall - a women's study and a marriage study with the Hubs - and the Hubs has entered the Peds rotation in Med School = no life for the Hubs. I have been busy working during the day, making delicious dinners at night- this week I made Butternut Squash and Sage soup, Pork Carnitas, and White Bean and Turkey Chili, baking anything I can with pumpkin, decorating the house with candy corn and cobwebs, building new and old friendships, and finding time for the Hubs and I to enjoy the married life. Busy, busy, busy. But I wouldn't have it any other way! So much joy in life to be had right now, and I love it.

God's really been speaking to my heart lately. In my women's study, we are reading "As Silver Refined," which deals with trials and disappointments and how God uses those trials to develop us, mature us, and bring us out of the experience as a stronger, God-centered individual. It also deals with how to handle these trials spiritually rather than emotionally! And what woman couldn't use some help with that! I've been learning a lot about forgiveness, God's grace and His deep, unchanging love for us. This study and group of women have been good for me because I'm learning that God is really working in my heart right now, and that there is always hope!

In my marriage class, we've only attended 1 so far, but the teaching was sort of similar to my women's study. When we react emotionally rather than act spiritually, we tend to blame our emotions and reactions on external things, but the true issue is with the heart. You can't just change a negative behavior, but instead must ask God to change your heart. I struggle with selfishness, and have a deep desire to be more of a servant. It's been my heart's prayer for awhile now. In the past, I've just tried to change my behaviors, but I'm learning that those changes are only a quick fix, and a few weeks later I'm back to my old habits! I must ask God for a change in my heart, get closer to Him by reading the Bible, and keep praying.

As I get closer to God, seek Him, and learn to have the heart of a servant, I find more joy, more love, more peace in life. And I can joyfully say, "My cup runneth over."

Happy Wednesday!

Wine and Sunsets

There is nothing I love more than wine, family, Saturdays and sunsets.

Why God, Why!?

I've always thought that God gets a kick out of my life. The craziest sh*z has been happening to me for as long as I can remember - cats in mailboxes, getting stuck upside down on the playground rings for what seemed like hours, telling my teacher to pray for my cousin to overcome AIDS, to name a few. One of my "gifts" that He has given me is the gift of laughter. I love laughing. It's my favorite. I not only love to laugh, but I make others laugh at my own expense.

Last night, I decided it was time to come clean...figuratively AND literally. Its not like this is the first time this has happened. Ask the Hubs. He'll tell you the truth. Yes, I have the bladder of an 80-year-old woman. (Sorry Grandma). I've never peed the bed (THANK GOD...although I just might have given Him another idea to laugh at me), but whenever I go for a hike or am far from the bathroom, Dear Baby Jesus decides its time to activate my bladder and before you know it, I'm sweating, panicking, and peeing myself. Not alot of pee. People would probably never even know about it. But I know, and He knows. And I know He's laughing up there.

So last night, I went for walk with a bestie, and for some reason, I thought I should drink 4 glasses of Kool-Aid before our hour-long walk. Oh golly. I just got a visual of myself. I'm that little kid that drinks Kool-Aid with the Kool-Aid stache that wets herself. Not cool. Anyway, I was not even 5 minutes into the walk when it felt like an elephant was sitting on my bladder. Oh.Dear.Lord. I've got 55 more minutes of walking. Sorry, bestie. We need to walk fast. So we did. And I started walking with a twist. Then I started dancing a bit. And then, it happened. If you ask the Hubs. He would tell you that this was a daily event when we were in Ireland. seriously.

Anyway, why post this you ask? Because come on. It's ridiculous, and life is funny. But also, I'm hoping I'm not alone in the pants wetting department. And if I AM the only 26 (almost 27) year old that does this, well then, I'm not really surprised. Like I said. God likes to laugh at me. And I guess thats ok. As long as its just pee.