The Accidental Boilermaker

Fall is officially here so bring on all things pumpkin.  I found these  muffins  and only changed one thing. Instead of pecans, I added chocolate chips.  An acceptable switch I think. And a picture of Penny sunbathing upstairs because she is such a pretty kitty.

We had our ultrasound yesterday.  It was exciting to see the baby.  The tech estimated he/she weighed about 11oz and she said they were very cooperative while she was trying to get all her measurements. 19 weeks

I love pumpkins.  We tried growing some for the first time this year and unfortunately did not have much success.  But we did get a few, including two big pumpkins.  And I know it is a little early for jack-o-lanterns, but I didn't want the seeds to go to waste.  So yesterday I carved my pumpkins and roasted the seeds. I am always surprised at how long it takes to scoop out the seeds, carve the pumpkin, and then clean all the seeds.  Growing up, my dad did all the hard work - we just watched and told him how we wanted our pumpkin to look. Two big pumpkins, two baby pumkins Jack-o-lanterns Yummy pumpkin seeds - the reward for all my effort

We decided to get out of town for the weekend and go camping.  We didn't go far, just an hour away to Bedford, VA and the Peaks of Otter campground.  The Peaks of Otter are three mountain peaks within the Blue Ridge Mountains - Harkening Hill, Sharp Top, and Flat Top - with Flat Top being the highest point in the state.  We hiked Harkening Hill on Saturday and then did Sharp Top on Sunday.  We want to come back and hike Flat Top when the leaves start to change in the fall.  It did rain both on Saturday and Sunday, but it didn't really spoil anything.  We hid out in the tent till it was over and were still able to have our evening campfires. Our campsite A view of Sharp Top from the Peaks of Otter Lodge. Sharp Top Summit Harkening Hill as seen from Sharp Top (you can just see the lodge on the right side of the picture). A view of Flat Top from Sharp Top. It's only 1.5 miles to the top, but it is up all the way. ...

By now I think most people know that Nate and I are having a baby but just in case...Surprise!!  We are having a baby!! I just finished my first crochet baby blanket, but it isn't for me.  A good friend back in Illinois is having her first in October and although I couldn't make it back home for the shower, I still wanted to give her a gift. My mom suggested the blanket idea and I'm glad she did.  I think the final project turned out nice. I ended up with a lot of leftover green yarn and wanted to make a little hat to go with the blanket.  I thought this would be a fairly simple project, but it ended up being much more challenging.  I finally ended up with this - too big for a newborn, but hopefully by December or January when it is truly hat weather in the Chicago suburbs, it will work.

No meatless Monday for us tonight. I made my great-grandma's meatball recipe, but don't worry. You might not be able to see them all, but this meal is still packed with veggies.  The green beans came from the garden and the homemade pasta sauce includes our tomatoes and one giant, shredded zucchini. The meatballs have carrots, potatoes, and even a small onion from the garden too.  Sometimes it is a challenge to use all the produce we grow, but for this meal, it was worth the effort. 

Nate and I spent all weekend celebrating our 6 year anniversary.  Friday night we saw Despicable Me 2 and enjoyed some post-movie ice cream.  Then on Saturday we risked the prediction of rain and drove out to Pembroke, VA to see the Cascade Falls, supposedly the most beautiful waterfall on the East Coast.  It ended up being a great day for a hike and the falls were very impressive.  Then today after church we went out for brunch. Hiking along the river up to the falls. Cascade Falls After the falls, we hiked up to Barney's Cliff to get a view of the New River Valley.