A birthday for Autumn!!

Autumn turned 3!! Hooray!!

To celebrate I took my family to the Zoo for some special time with the animals :) 

It was so awesome to share what I do with everyone.

The weather was so nice too! 

 

Learning about the animal's diets

 Charlie and Liam with a lemur

So cool!

 Henry the Hippo

 Hungry, hungry hippo...

We had such an awesome day! Along with Lemurs, Tortoises and Henry, we spent the day with tigers, feeding Zebras, Otters and Pelicans.  Such a fun day! Thanks Erin for helping me out with this!

Happy Birthday Autumn!

Christmas Recap

My little family had a wonderful Christmas full of candy, eggnog, presents, and lots of family time. Autumn and Liam were loaded with special things including a baby tiger from Santa for Autumn and a gargantuan stuffed sheep dog for Liam.

 

Joe and Annie 

 Reading together :)

 Christmas Eve

After Santa came :)

 A baby tiger for Autumn

 Filled Stockings!

Watching "The Goonies" movie that Liam got for Christmas

ugh

Do you ever get the feeling that you are not where you are supposed/need to be? 

I have that feeling. Right. Now.

Dear Autumn,

 

  On January 3, 2008 your father and I rushed ourselves to the hospital... Just in time too, my labor with you was only 45 minutes long.

We were SO excited to see you and your full head of red hair.

You seemed to be happy to see us too, you were smiling an hour after you were born...

You were SO little! Only 6 lbs...

But you were the spunkiest little person your father and I had ever met.

You were the most beautiful little munchkin in all the land

 At 4 months old, you lost all your hair... But that didn't dampen your spirits, you were still the prettiest little 

girl in the world

Even though still very small, you enjoyed adventures and have always had the bravest of hearts

 You were and will always be a daddy's girl. 

You have an "understanding" that I will never compare to.

 You take after me though, and can't help but love all animals

You are such a sweet spirit that the animals love and trust you back without question.

You are so much fun! Your laugh and humor could brighten the darkest day.

 

 Your sweet smile brings such peace and love to my heart.

 You have always loved the outdoors and found joy in the simplest of things. 

You are such an amazing example. 

 Your father and I love you more than anything.

 Autumn my dear, you are such a beautiful amazing girl. You brighten up the lives of everyone you meet.  You have such compassion and love for such a small little person.  You are such a gift.  I adore you. 

Please always stay my best friend, my dear little one.  

Happy 3 birthday my dear, sweet Autumn.

I hope your day and all the days to come are filled with magic.

Love, 

     Mom

Someone...

loves cake

What a

B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L Day!

My little family and I are going to be spending the 

day and night outdoors...

Everyone else should be too, or else you will regret it. 

Just a hint.

Christmas with the Zahns

We have a lot of newly born traditions in my little family.  

I say "newly-born", because they are only 4 Christmas's old, so they are still growing into true-blue traditions.  

We all open Pj's on Christmas Eve ( I try to do homemade for at least the kids) and with the comfy new sleep wear, we all get brand new wonderful, amazing, socks.

  There is nothing quite like new socks,...

they are heavenly to say the least. 

After that, we give Santa some Egg-Nog and Mexican Wedding Cookies and all head to bed.  

The next day is filled with wonderful goodies and the normal gift-giving celebration. 

Every year, Charlie get's a new season of BBC's All Creatures Great and Small.

  So, we usually sip all kinds of wonderful drinks and eat Summer Sausage and amazing cheese while having an All Creature's marathon. 

It is a simple holiday, but the simpleness is what makes it magical. 

new year, new ideas

I want to dress classy.

I want to dress pretty.

 I want to dress graceful. 

Right now, I wear jeans and t-shirts... 

and I will admit, besides jeans (which I could because we wear the same size)

I share a wardrobe with my husband dearest. 

I am done trying not to care.

I need a makeover. 

Hair, makeup, clothes... 

Anyone want to help me out? I have no idea what I am doing... 

boots

I NEVER dream  of boots...

but I have found myself drooling over these... 

Why must the only boots I like be ones that are vintage/one of a kind/impossible to find??

ugh...

excitment

I adore Christmas

This year it seems like I am enjoying a lot more than I have in the past couple of years. 

Autumn is at the age where she understands who Santa is and that is SO exciting for me as a parent, I never realized how much more fun it is to be the parent at Christmas than the child. 

I don't want to spoil the presents, so I wont say what I got everyone yet, but I am excited to tell after Christmas.  

I will however spill the beans on Autumn's new room. 

I feel rather proud at my thriftiness :) 

I got a very nice bed that usually goes for 300 dollars off of craigslist for 1/7 that price. 

I also snagged some new carpet and pad for BOTH the kids room for only 100 bucks! 

Autumn's new bed will sport this cute bedspread

... which only cost $35!

 I will embroidery pillows and my wonderful artistic husband will be water-coloring paintings of an owl, fox and tree. 

I am SO excited!! 

I will put pictures of the finished product when we are all done. 

Tomorrow...

I was 11 when the school library had announced about the new book Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone.  In fact, I had just turned 11.  I was a lover of books, my favorite at the time being the Bunnicula Series... so I decided to give it a try.  I was hooked from day one.  I felt like I was part of the story, I felt a special bond between the main characters and myself that made me cry and laugh out loud while hidden in the corner of my room with a blanket.  I never put it down, I didn't even sleep... by the end of day 3 I was finished with it.... A week later I read it again.  I am now 22.  I have read the first 4 books 7 times a piece and I have read the last 3, 3 times each.  When the first movie came to theaters, it was like Christmas for me. I remember the magic and enchantment that movie brought to my heart.  I was entranced by the words and music.  I left the movie theater with the theme music echoing in my ear (only to beg my mother to take me to walmart so I could spend what little money I had on the soundtrack)  I had a portable cd player in which I listened to that cd everywhere. In the car, on the bus, while at home, I even had it playing while I slept. I was at every midnight release of both book and movie.

Harry, Hermione, Ron and I grew up together. Now, we are coming to a close.  I am not afraid or ashamed to say that the Harry Potter series are my favorite books of all time, they have not only been a good read, but a very special friend to me.  They have been with me through sickness and grief. They have been a very welcomed escape from a sometimes depressive and dreary world.  The wizarding world was real for me, it was a place that I spent most of my childhood.  It has shaped me into the person I am today, I have no doubt of that.  Some may think I am crazy, or immature... They can think that if they want, I am only speaking the truth.  Tomorrow night, the first part of the last installment is released.  I will be there holding hands with my husband as we search for horcruxes and battle death eaters together alongside my lifelong friends in their world that was for so long my world as well. I hope to leave with a smile, but I will undoubtedly lose some tears.  This is the beginning of the end, a relationship that has lasted through the most pivotal years of my childhood.  I will continue to visit Harry's world the rest of my life and I will share the same magic with my children and their children.

Harry, thank you for being a constant friend and companion, I owe so much to you. We will be together at your end, and I know that you will be with me until I come to my end.

cozy morning

I woke up this morning to a crisp, rainy autumn morning.

This day is the perfect day to relax, eat good food, watch movies, and sit by the fireplace.

Luckily today is also a day off for husband and I

Charlie made us a fire...

 and I made hot chocolate and Pumpkin Waffles.

I decided to post the recipe so that others can share in the wonderfulness.

 Ingredients...

 

batter...

 cooking...

 tools...

 final product.

yummmm....

( I have never attempted taking photos while I baked/cooked/grilled anything, so please forgive the photos...) 

Here's the recipe:

(you can also find it here)

INGREDIENTS
makes 4 round “Belgian” style pumpkin waffles

• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 3 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 tsp. ginger
• 1/4 tsp. cloves
• 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg*
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and warm

*Grated and lightly packed into the spoon, use 1/2 tsp. Grated and loosely scooped, this is about 1 tsp. of nutmeg. If you have to use pre-grated, dried nutmeg, use 1/4 tsp.

DIRECTIONS

1. Lightly oil the waffle iron with vegetable oil, and set it to the desired temperature.

2. Combine brown sugar and cornstarch in a large bowl. Whisk together to break apart the cornstarch. Add the remaining dry ingredients, and whisk to blend.

3. Separate eggs: yolks go in a medium sized bowl and whites get set aside in a smaller bowl.

4. Add pumpkin and milk to the egg yolks. Whisk to blend and set aside.

5. Whip egg whites with a hand mixer on high until stiff white peaks form – about 1 1/2 – 2 minutes. Set aside.

6. Pour melted butter into the yolk/milk/pumpkin mixture. As you pour, whisk to combine.

7. Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients, and mix them together until just combined. A little lumpiness is fine. That will smooth out when the egg whites are added.

8. Slide the whipped egg whites out of the bowl and onto the mixture you just prepared. Gently fold them in until no white bits are obvious.

9. Once the waffle iron is heated, you’re ready to pour the batter!

10. Top with syrup/powdered sugar/whipped cream/roasted pecans/honey/butter/peanut butter/cream cheese.... :) 

--- I was out of some of the ingredients, so I substituted fast-cooking tapioca for corn starch... I also added vanilla for some extra flavor---

Hope your morning was as cozy as mine :)