Yes, it's Sunday. It's my blog and there are no rules. :)



1) Pumpkin! Shocking, I know. We have finally started harvesting our impressive six-pumpkin collection for consumption. So far we've made pumpkin soup (using a variation of this recipe), pumpkin bread and muffins, pumpkin seeds and pumpkin pie. And we STILL have 8 cups of pumpkin frozen in the freezer. I'm toying with trying this pumpkin mac & cheese recipe, and we're making sure we save enough to make pumpkin pie for an American Thanksgiving get-together later this month. I'm open to more suggestions!

2) The grand finale of Autumn colour. The eldest was due for a "baby root canal" on Tuesday, but when it was cancelled at the last minute, Matt and I jumped at the chance for a quick - and breathtakingly beautiful - morning walk through Phoenix Park. Even though Autumn begins early here, it seemed muted until just this last week. Everywhere we go now, the trees are on fire. We've even had a good bit of sun, almost making up for it setting before 5pm.



3) The Peace Experiment update :: So far, mostly good. I've been praying peace over our children before school, we've been sharing what we're thankful for during dinner, and we're all trying not to yell up and down the stairs at each other. I printed off these images to display around our home and above our kitchen table, and I've started a devotional on peace through YouVersion. Also, Jesus Calling for this week has been the perfect compliment to our growing focus on peacefulness. Of course, a couple of mornings have been a wash and the bedtime routine was wild whilst Dad was away, but we're aiming for intention over perfection.

4) What I'm Into. So the last few months I've been trying to do the monthly link-up What I'm Into with Leigh Kramer. This month she'll be having a giveaway for all those who participate in the What I'm Into for it's one year birthday! This is one of my favourite bloggery things to take part in, always inspiring me to read, listen to or try something new, write concise reviews and get to know new bloggers. You should do it, too!

5) Serve the City. Since moving back to Ireland, we seem to have hit our stride with life, school and work (we think, mostly), and one of the ways this is all syncing for us is through Serve the City. Matt's taken on a leadership role with STC Dublin and it seems to be a perfect fit, not just for his awesome man-skills, but also for our ministry philosophy: we want to see glimpses of God's Kingdom here on earth, and through serving the vulnerable in our city, we get to share a little bit of that Light and Hope. And by "we" I mean mostly Matt and the amazing STC leaders and volunteers. Matt spent the weekend in Berlin with STC leaders from around the world and it's so confirming and encouraging to see how the crazy puzzle pieces of our life are finally starting to fit.

That's it for me this week. How about you? What's been a favourite happening in your part of the world?

One last, sweet first

At a time I thought we were finished with firsts, one more first for our wee lad: his first leaf pile. Ever.


How sweet it is.

(yes, he's wearing pajamas and yes, it's a very small and haphazard pile. He interrupted his sister mid-rake for a wee romp. Bless.)

Five Friday Favourites :: At home in Ireland

1) The Free Preschool Year :: In Ireland, every child is entitled to a free preschool year. Daycares and creches (a playschool or nursery) are plentiful as many families have both parents working full-time, and nearly all of these offer a preschool option. We've found a great one near us where Ash goes every day for three hours (except for today, because he's a sickie with a bad cold and yellow snot problem). I love the idea that every child in Ireland can go to preschool absolutely free, encouraging friendships, group-play and creative learning.

2) Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins :: We used this recipe from Money Saving Mom for Ella's "birthday cake" this year, but we turned them into cupcakes by topping them with store bought (gasp!) cream cheese frosting. People, this is the very best our world has to offer. The recipe makes loads, kids and adults alike left full and happy, and we still have one loaf of bread in the freezer to enjoy.


breaking my own rule to not take pictures of food b/c i take really bad pictures of food

3) Pumpkins! We've been lucky enough to find the rumoured, mythical pumpkin. They're not as ubiquitous here as they are in the States and for a few weeks our life mirrors Linus' hunt for the Great Pumpkin. Today our front stoop boasts three beautiful globes of orange and I'm sure our neighbours think we're mad (crazy), but I don't care. They'll thank me when I come round with some roasted seeds.

4) Girl Day in Dublin :: For Ella's birthday, she gave me the very best present of all. We spent a picture perfect Autumn day in Dublin City and had a blast. An exhausting, sugary blast. There was coffee and crepes and bookshop and playground and holding hands and, of course, skipping. Ella doesn't walk, people; she skips, runs and/or jumps hopscotch on crowded sidewalks. She is equal parts carefree and treacherous. And there may or may not have been lip gloss.

5) Date night! It hasn't technically happened (6 hours and counting!) but tonight Matt and I are getting out of the house for a little one-on-one time. I've been inspired by all the date night posts lately, and as Matt's taken on more work responsibilities and I've taken on more Irish homework responsibilities (sigh) we need a couple of hours with nothing but books and coffees between us. Honorable mention goes to the honorary uncle who loves power rangers as much as our kids do and doesn't mind an evening of mind-numbing "ninja" action.

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On Fridays I try to write about my favourite things, even and especially on the long, tough weeks. Now back to the sick little guy on the sofa. What's been your favourite thing this week?

wordless wednesday :: at home in Ireland

In Autumn, I'm homesick for everywhere

While August takes its last breath, Autumn has come to Ireland. Those late night sunsets and early morning wake-up calls giving way to dark skies in time for bed. Matt crouches beside an outdoor fire, smelling of Colorado and camp singalongs. We fashion smores here with chocolate digestive biscuits, which is really the better way to do it, anyway. Who hasn't lost a Hershey square or two from lack of melting?

This was meant for Asher's birthday, but company and cool rain postponed the crowning event. He's not keen on cake, but could live off biscuits. And marshmallows on sticks. And cardboard, but that's beside the point. It's still summer holidays, and we - who never plan much more than a week in advance and dread the long days and endless Wii fights - we are eeking out a bit more of this season.

Fall is my very favourite thing, as we Americans calls it. My Irish friends think it's such a strange name, lacking the colour of Autumn, the rhythm of it. Whatever name you choose, wherever we are, my favourite memories are coloured in Autumn. They smell of Autumn. And when he strikes up the chiminea and I open our window, I smell chili cookoffs and football season and first day of class and falling in love. 

I bounce and stir on a hayride, waiting to see if he'll touch my hand.
I trace Chicago leaves as they turn and drape the city streets.
I ride my bike to the bookshop, feeling every ounce of fresh freedom.
I am pregnant and cuddled under a blanket on a balcony, counting kicks.
I see my mother and her umbrella at the meeting of the waters.

In Kansas, come this time, I am always desperate for it: this smell, the crackling, the turn of the weather. But here, it surprises me with its promptness. Autumn arrives on time in Ireland. Early, even. And before I know it, before I prepare myself with pumpkin spiced recipes and early season sweater sales, I am homesick. For everywhere. 

I can't help it, can't shake it, but I wouldn't even want to.

Soon, I'll be homesick for this memory, too.

Writing with Heather of the EO for Just Write.

A million tiny plastic pieces :: 31 days of messy parenting {day 6}

The heat is on. Our living room is filled with moving boxes (for fort-making, not yet moving). A million tiny plastic Lego pieces are spread throughout the place. Cartoons in one room, radio theatre in another, and Downton Abbey is in the queue for the unpacking and washing of winter clothes.

For right now, in this moment, we're at peace. And they are pretending and creating and laughing. They're happy.

And cleaning up can wait until tomorrow. Or the next day.

Autumn is here. This is how we're celebrating. How do you celebrate this change of seasons?

Happy Friday Autumn Eve!

So, as you can see, I maybe redesigned the blog a little bit. Still not entirely sure I'm happy with it, but when I get stressed, I procrastinate. And when I procrastinate, I mess with design stuff. Turns out, graphic design has changed a lot in the, oh, 11 YEARS(!!!) since I graduated college. Thankfully the paste and cut shortcut buttons remain the same.

Let me know what you think. Anything else you want to the see on the blog? Not a fan of the colours? Does the background make you dizzy? (I picked it specifically because it reminded me of our bathroom floor tiles in our first Chicago apartment. Strange, much?)

Oh, and tomorrow AUTUMN arrives! And then it's October! And then I may or may not be participating in the 31 Days of... challenge again. I'm fine-tuning some things, but I'll give you a hint as to what it might look like:

Happy Friday Autumn Eve, everybody! How are you celebrating?

Lazy summer into autumn

Oddly enough, my lazy summer days have made way for even lazier school days! It's just the wee lad and me most of the time, and we are walking in the park and window shopping and meeting for coffee and just hanging around being best pals. So here are some images from our current season of life, keepin' it real, keepin' it lazy.

 

first day of school

the offspring and me

and this happened... she's a kindergartener

work day (ok, a quick coffee break). look how fancy!

just the wee lad and me

splash park smiles

goodbye summer days

Today autumn is supposed to arrive, with afternoon rains and cooling temps. And we are welcoming a visitor from a place we used to call home. Big day. 

How's your Friday, your Autumn, shaping up?

wordless wednesday

31 days of LIVING in transition :: falling into autumn {day 19}

Isn't autumn/fall the most beautiful of all transitions? With that in mind, get out! Enjoy it! Revel in the fact that transition is a natural order of being. Nothing is intended to remain stationary forever.