Fall, Fire, Fajitas

I'm so very far behind!  

My big girl's preschool class took two field trips in October and I have yet to post pix from either one. 

So, first up is the fall party at our local pumpkin patch.  

Unfortunately I didn't get an abundance of pictures.  

And the few I did get were of course taken with my phone, the only camera I ever carry.  

So, forgive the quality.

Learning all about pumpkins and gourds...

I learned some things too.

Did you know that an uncut pumpkin can be kept for food until January or February?

God's provision for the winter months!

Big girl (all in pink) is sitting by one of her new besties here (the guy on her right).

Can't thank God enough for all her little friends.

And, of course, that is baby girl to her left (in the stripped hat).

I can not tell you how sweet the following picture is to me.

For those of you that don't know, integrating into a class of twelve kids was a daunting task for my shy girl.

But God has been so very good to her.

When we first arrived at the pumpkin patch, a sweet little thing named Macy ran up and grabbed big girl's hand so they could walk on top of the straw bales together.

Afterwards, this little guy grabbed her hand to go pick a pumpkin.

She talks the most about these two kiddos, but has mentioned playing with several of the others in her class.

Brings such joy to this momma's heart!

Our beloved "Granny" (my dear friend and mentor) went along to help.

I have a pic, but didn't get permission to use; so, you'll just have to take my word that she was there.

She was the one that bravely ventured into the straw maze with the girls.

Besides being very low to the ground (adults could barely crawl through), it was quite long and dark.

So long that very few kiddos actually ventured all the way through.

And I'm pretty sure they all had an adult escort.

Here is baby girl (and big girl is barely visible) peeking through a little window for light and air.

No, they didn't go all the way through.

And the next week, we visited our local Fire Department for Fire Prevention month.

Enamored by the fire truck...

Yes, it's big girl's class trip, but baby girl goes everywhere I go.  

And since I'm a helicopter mom, I will go on every single field trip that I possibly can; so baby girl gets in on all the adventures too.

(For those of you that don't know, helicopter mom = mom who hovers.) 

Big sis is so sweet and wants her lil' sis right beside her.  

Ms. Donna is kind enough to let baby girl grab onto the rope with all the big kids.

That's the back of big girl's head you see below.

She would not get any closer to Sparky the dog.

I may have even given her a little nudge to get that close.

Waiting to hear the air horn...

The firemen told them to cover their ears.

I wish I had.

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On a completely unrelated note, my man and I decided to fix fajitas this week.  We've fixed fajitas before, but have never been totally happy with the seasoning we've created.  What to do, but...Google!  Here's what I found.  And it is yummy!

From:
http://busycooks.about.com/od/homemademixes/r/fajitaseasonmix.htm

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 2 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1 Tbsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. paprika
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 2-1/2 tsp. crushed chicken bouillon cube
• 1-1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp. cumin

I omitted the cornstarch.  And I, of course, didn't measure.  Just tried to use more chili powder than anything else, a little less paprika, salt, and sugar than chili powder, and so on.  Melt butter in saute pan, add chicken and seasoning, and right before chicken's done, add peppers and onions.  Wrap in a tortilla with avocado and sour cream and have yourself some yumminess!

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Attitude of Gratitude...
because He comes to clothe us with a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
Isaiah 61:3

81.  making rice krispie treats with my girls
82.  crying and laughing with a bestie
83.  a heater that works
84.  finding cards filled with love in my mailbox
85.  a trip to rural king with my man
86.  winning some give-aways on emily anderson's blog--woo hoo!--which gave me...
87.  free ad space on living in yellow and...
88.  the cutest hat for my girls--ever!
89.  a trip to see family
90.  safety for my man when he is laying roof decking...
91.  and the ability to constantly intercede on his behalf!
92.  curb-side recycling (you made my life so much easier!)
93.  Puffs Plus (if you have a cold, you know what i mean)
94.  Blogging friends that helped me figure out how to make a button at midnight!
95.  Finally, a button that works!!!!


For more on "Attitude of Gratitude," see these posts:

Just Perpetually Tired

Gratitude to Replace the Comparisons, the Guilt, the Doubt

Attitude of Gratitude