Finding joy in the everyday
One of the first outings William had with his preschool was a visit to a local pumpkin patch. Lucas and I met his class there for some pumpkin fun. Lucas loved rearranging them and tried to pick up the big ones. Every time we drove by a patch after that, all he said was, “Heavy!”.
I’ve been wanting to take the boys back to Sweet Berry Farms for a while now and it just wasn’t working out until this past fall. We met Jessica, Nathan and Sofia there for some pumpkin, hay ride, barrel train fun.
These are all big plants now that you can go pick from! Maybe another trip for strawberries is in order?
Lucas rode the train too….as I walked along beside him and held his hand. It was cute.
With baby number 2 on the way soon, I wanted to have a girl’s night just for fun and to also celebrate the baby without it being a baby shower. I guess it was more about time with some special ladies, good food and lots of laughs. I know it was much needed for myself and I think everyone had a great time.
Jessica welcomed us all into her home and I put together a simple menu of finger foods. Not pictured are the multiple bowls of candy scattered around the kitchen and living room. Gummy candy was a must!
I wanted to play off the nursery woodland theme and add a touch of fall with the table setting.
I love how it turned out! It brings me such joy to entertain and be able to share this with friends. I love putting pretty things together. It’s my way of saying thank you and telling people how special they are to me.
I chose 3 or 4 desserts and sent them to Jessica and told her to pick one and surprise me. She went with a pumpkin tiramisu that was amazing!! It was so light and flavorful. I adore pumpkin. She is a dessert master.
Last weekend we went for a two night stay in Castroville with Adriana, Matt and Maria. I wanted to help her with any organizing or cleaning before the baby came and also just hang out. I miss not having them closer. I want Maria and William (and his soon to arrive cousins) plenty of time together as they grow up.
William did 100x better than the last time we stayed with them. He didn’t fuss about going to bed or taking naps which was great. The time change on Sunday did mess him up a bit though and we were up pretty early that day as well as Monday. Sleeping in the same room with him isn’t ideal though with all the noise he makes and then we are like extra careful to not make too much noise either but it works. I am just glad the screaming and crying was at a minimum.
Castroville is such a cute small town and all decked out for fall which I love. We went out Friday night to explore Nite in Old Castroville. Let’s just say it wasn’t First Thursday on SoCo. Still an adventure nonetheless with a sleepy 20 month old.
We were looking for food but all we found was a small trailer so we opted for tacos to go on the way home which were amazing.
I can’t get enough of the historic homes! I would live here especially with that yellow!! I’d be on the porch all the time.
Stopping to say hello to the kittens. I think Maria needs one.
I want to check this place out the next time sans kids. Looks fun!
Friday night I helped Adriana finish up a batch of kolaches while we watched Despicable Me 2. She had the dough and toppings all ready so I helped form and top. They were delicious and actually better the next morning. I had brought a jar of Pumpkin Butter from Trader Joe’s for Matt’s birthday so we broke into it for a few toppings as well. Such a good idea.
She also did cheese and strawberry. They were all wonderful combos and I want to make them again.
William and Maria are quite the pair. Taking things from each other was the theme of the weekend.
For dinner Saturday night Adriana whipped out a couple pizzas.
Maria was a taste tester and helped pat the dough out….when she wasn’t stealing bites. She is just like her mama, loves dough.
After William ate dinner he joined the party and kept an eye on the toppings until cheese came into the picture. Then both of them were snacking on cheese.
Yum! I could go for a slice of this now…..
Sunday morning was very long with the time change and getting up at 5:30am. After a lazy morning (and a little cleaning on my part) we headed off to the Le Chat Noir for brunch in the courtyard. I only took a couple photos on FB and Instagram because I just wanted to enjoy the surroundings, food and people. The food was so delicious, I can’t wait to go back.
Love this shot of them drinking water and eating cereal for snack. William would sneak some out of Maria’s bowl when his was empty. Smart boy.
Looking forward to more time with them this weekend!
Hop on over to the Vignette blog for more photos from our weekend.
Hey there! Jump over to the Vignette blog to read about our adventures and see more photos.
I almost jumped back on another meal planning program. I was so uninspired this morning while making our menu and grocery list. Nothing sounded good and I was tired with the same old, same old. The rainy weather was also making me dread a grocery trip with little man in tow. Thankfully he did really well and it only rained while we were inside. Whew!
Monday | Herb Crusted Salmon Basa – I fully intended to get salmon for tonight’s recipe but when I got to the fish counter and asked for my usual (12 oz of salmon with the skin removed), the guy behind the counter seemed stumped. He wasn’t the usual “fish guy” so I changed my mind. I was worried my salmon would come back mutilated.
Tuesday | I know I’ve made this a lot but I really do love how easy it is to throw together and it always tastes good. Quick Sausage Bake
Wednesday | Fat Almond Pancake
Thursday | Slow Cooker Frittata I may actually make this earlier in the week so we can eat the leftovers for breakfasts
Friday | Cheese Tortellini in Pumpkin Gorgonzola Sauce with Roasted Sweet Potatoes – sounds totally rich but oh my word, I have to try it!
Saturday | Crockpot Chili and cornbread – we are visiting a local pumpkin patch and I thought a bowl of chili would be perfect for after our adventures. The weather looks like it’ll be a bit cooler too!
Sunday | Leftovers or a frozen meal
Did you hear? There is a Trader Joe’s in Austin now (with 2 more in the works)! It opened a few weeks back and William and I went to check it out. It was a quick trip because he was sleepy but we grabbed a few fun things and some flowers. I don’t think it’ll be a weekly trip for us, maybe once or twice a month. It’s a fun change and I love all their items made with pumpkin! Need to go back and get the pumpkin butter….definitely worth a trip!
Monday | I love making Mondays fish days. There is something about eating the fish the same day you buy it. If it sits in the fridge a day or two, I am so not interested in eating it still. I also like to keep Mondays easy after going to the grocery store and running errands – my usual Monday routine. Salmon with veggies.
Tuesday | Easy Roasted Lemon Chicken with tomatoes and potatoes – I’ll do a half recipe of this and use the thighs I have in the freezer.
Wednesday | This looks really delicious and I like having a vegetarian meal at least once a week. I hope the boys like it too! Pesto Gnocchi. I’ll make this easier and buy ready made gnocchi and pesto.
Thursday | Fat Almond Pancake and eggs
Friday | Turkey Meatballs with Polenta
Saturday | Sweet Berry Farms – Pick your own sunflowers and zinnias! Explore the maze, make a scarecrow, take a hay ride. Lunch will be eaten out, maybe at Bluebonnet Cafe so I’ll keep dinner easy. Maybe a frozen pizza or chicken salad.
Sunday | Crockpot Zucchini Lasagna – easy to throw together before or after church!
And because October 1 is tomorrow….a few fall photos from 2008.
Elizabeth Hafner 