Pumpkin cream cheese cupcakes - or muffins !

Here's the recipe for the Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cupcakes - actually I think if you call them muffins, then you can justify eating them for breakfast. I mean after all - there is no frosting on them - isn't that the rule for a cupcake?

PUMPKIN CREAM CHEESE............

4 eggs
2 c. sugar
2 c. pumpkin
1 1/4 c. oil

Mix these ingredients well, then add:

3 c. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cloves
4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (if you don't have this, just add an extra 1/2 tsp. of each of the above)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt.

In small bowl add the following ingred. and mix well:
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1/3 c. sugar
1 egg

Line 24 cupcake tins with paper liners (you could half the recipe for twelve and save the pumpkin for another batch since one can is about 2 cups)

I didn't measure this, but I used a 1/4 c. and didn't fill it full and placed some in the bottom of each liner. Top with a large spoonful of cream cheese mixture.........
than top with another scant 1/4c. of pumpkin.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 min..............................enjoy the aroma!!(this is when I can tell my kids that "yes, there is actually something in the oven it's not just my candle burning" :-)
ENJOY!!

A date with a chaise...................

Yesterday was GLORIOUS! Saturday was beautiful too - but it was an all work and no play kind of day (until dark when we headed to Jeff and Kathi's to soak out sore bods in their hot tub)! But yesterday - I had a date with my chaise lounge.

Randy and the kids bought me 2 of these last year (08') for Mother's Day and this summer they went out on the new patio - but I'm afraid with our crazy summer and my work schedule I only sat out there 3 times. So today - was a date with the chaise.

DELIGHTFUL!!

Hope you were outside soaking up the last few warm rays of sunshine!!

On the road again!

This last weekend brought a last minute trip to Boise to see Brian and Judy.
We decided that our good friends needed some encouragement, laughter, and US! We headed out Friday afternoon about 3pm with Dan and Marla and arrived at McKays at 3AM! Judy knew we were coming, but Brian had no clue - we wanted to surprise him. I called about 11pm (Boise time) and asked him how long it took to get to his house from Pendleton, OR - he answered - with kind of a confused tone, and then I told him he'd better get a blanket and lay down on the couch cuz' we'd be there in about 3 hours! What fun! I love surprises - and he was pretty blown away!

The NAG-IVATORS - the term Dan decided was appropriate for us - ok only me!
We had a blast! We literally did nothing, but eat (a lot!), relax, laugh, pray together and only left the house to run to the grocery store and to church with them on Sunday morning. I did fit in a cookie making session with Miss Hailey - how I adore that girl.
I also got to give Spencer a "wet willy", which he hates -so I give him one every time I see him - all I have to do is lick my finger and head for his ear and he tweaks out :-) - love that boy!
Of course Hailey talked the men into playing "Pretty Pretty Princess" with her. The women took their turn so the men had to too!
I took LOTS of pictures of them once they started putting the jewelry on - but I just couldn't reduce their manhood and post them on the blog. I will however put them in my album someday - so if you want to see them............................:-)
We left Boise about 9:30 Monday morning and the drive home was beautiful over the pass in the sunshine with the changing colors.

What a blessing to spend a weekend with friends far away. The visit was long overdue, and we promised we won't wait so long for our next road trip to Idaho.
The only thing that would've made it perfect, would be if Jeff and Kathi could've come along. We will definitely be making a road trip come springtime with the whole group!

Love you McKays - you blessed us quite possibly more than we blessed you!

My soccer girl...................

Yesterday was a beautiful day to watch soccer! Emily decided to play soccer this year and because she started the practices a little later than the rest of the team, yesterday was her first game.

They only have 8 players so those girls ran hard and never had subs for the WHOLE game!

They were hot and tired, but they played hard.

It was so fun to watch her out there. I didn't realize how much I've missed watching my kids play sports.
I will say after watching the game, there is NOTHING in me that says "hey that looks like fun- I think I'll run my guts out and let people kick me :-)" - too much work - definitely not for me!!

A day in the sunshine!

Yesterday afternoon we headed out to Eliza Island with Dan and Marla. The weather was gorgeous and it was so relaxing. Marla took it upon herself to take a couple pics with my camera........

This is Dan and Randy, sitting on the new deck Randy is building. Notice the telescope - it is positioned on Marla and I down on our blanket - cute huh?!?!
I think Marla took this picture as I was telling her I felt a headache coming on..................

About 5pm is when I felt a headache coming on.......................by 6:30 I realized it had to be a migraine!! I've only had a migraine once before, about 18 years ago, so this one totally took me by surprise.

By 8:15 I was home in bed in the fetal position! YUK!! That was horrible. To all of you who get migraines - I have such sympathy - no I guess empathy for you!

Today I woke up without a migraine, but feeling like I've been drug through a hedge backwards! My friend told me today that she calls this feeling a "migraine hangover" - I agree!

I had to take my bar test this morning at Woods ( of all mornings!) and I passed. It's great relief to have this crossed off my list!!!

I also tried a new drink at Woods for the first time today and it is definitely my new FAVORITE!! I'll share what it is in my next post! (gotta have something to bring you back!):-)

It's official!

I have succumbed to the world of FACEBOOK!

Last night as I was doing dishes from a dinner party we had on the boat (we had donated a sunset dinner cruise to an auction - great night for it), and Emily was sitting here at the computer and she said "mom, you need a Facebook - I'll set it up for you".

I have been resisting this "sin" for months now because:
1. I hear that one can get lost for hours in the Facebook world, and frankly I don't even have HOUR let alone HourS!

2. I don't have brain cells available to figure out how to use it.

3. Frankly, I don't want every Tom, Dick and Mary to find me!

4. I don't post enough on Blogger, how will I keep up on both (it's like when you're about ready to have a 2nd child and the thought of 2 is overwhelming, like, how will I do it?!)

REASON I succumbed:

1. I hear from everyone else what Brandon is doing, and I do mean EVERYONE else! My nephew and his wife are up from Corvallis and they came in to Woods yesterday and updated me on my son's college life!!!!! ENOUGH!! So Brandon - this launch into facebook is just for you!!
(OK - it's really for me to have a peak into his college life, but as I mother I like to think it's for you! Love you and miss you bud!) - (not like he EVER looks at mother's blog - he's not into the blogging thing)

He's there..............and we're here!

We're home - we did it - we survived!
We left at 5:15AM on Saturday morning to take Brandon to Whitworth. The day was full and once we arrived we hit the ground running.

Here's Brandon with his stuff - much less "stuff" than you saw the girl's parents pulling out of their vehicles :-)!!
This is Brandon's room - before.........................
This is Brandon's room - after........................
He wasn't very cooperative in the picture category - this is a picture of him by his door with the batman signia with he and roommates names on them. He's in the basement of Arend Hall and as we came down the stairs there was a big cut out batman mask on the wall with huge words that said "Welcome to the Bat Cave".

Here's their mascot hanging in the hall.

Sunday we said our good byes- he and Randy hugged so fast I almost missed it..................
We had to go back after we said goodbye because I didn't get a picture with him - aren't you proud of me - no big black streaks of mascara running down my face?!?!?
Now I'm an official "Whitworth Mom" so I had to get a sweatshirt!
Today was very weird - I kept expecting him to descend from upstairs ..............

Waiting to see how long until he calls!

A defining moment........of my age!

Well, it's official - MY BABY GIRL IS A FRESHMAN - yes, a high schooler!

I knew it was coming - but it still blindsided me! Wow - when did it happen? For those of you with younger children, you hear remarks like this and think - "I will be in this stage FOREVER , ya, I mean they are growing up, but I think I will be raising children forever". Trust me - my child raising days are coming to an end. Really at this point you kind of switch into more of a coaching position (with a lot of authority!!), but the role really starts changing as you get them ready to make decisions and figure how to "do life".

Anyways - enough of that chatter.....................Here's our beautiful freshman daughter!!
And what does a freshman girl do as her mother is trying to take her picture?
TEXTING!!!!!!! ARGHHH!!!

It was a rather weird picture moment- as I was taking her picture I was flashing back to all the school pictures I've taken over the years (I took the first one in 1993 - yes 16 years ago) and this is the first one with only one child in it! When Nathan headed to Kindergarten, Brandon was in the picture with him for his first day of Preschool. I told Emily she should pick up Max for the picture because she looked lonely! :-0

Now - 2 days to go until we take Brandon to Whitworth, but that's a whole different post!!!! :-{

The purple purse.........

So - Tues. morning hubby and I were having coffee, like we do about 6:30ish every morning in the 2 chairs in our living room (unless we're out on the patio :-), and we were discussing money, budgets, etc. - YAWN - YUK - any other y word that fits here......

I assured Randy that I was living pretty much by a budget, and my final point was..................."there's even a purple purse that I want at work right now that I'm not buying because I know I just don't need it".

Fast forward to Tues., afternoon. I'm upstairs in my office at Grandiflora (which is a corner with no windows and I can't hear a thing), and when I come down stairs my two co-workers say, "you have a present" - which of course I replied "no I don't - no way"..............

Long story short, after telling me that a really hot guy came in and bought me a gift, I opened the bag.......................and there was the purple purse.

I know................OH MY GOODNESS......................Randy came in and bought me the purse and had them wrap it.

Does that bring tears to your eyes and a smile on your face - OR WHAT!?!?!

I will say, after almost 24 years of marriage, that wonderful man never ceases to amaze me!!

Of course I was feeling guilty and had to make sure that he understood I wasn't whining or complaining ( just trying to make a point - I never intended to make him feel like I had to have the purse) - our life is great, things have changed, but God is good and HE doesn't change!

PS For those of you that guessed ELIZA island - you were right. It's a beautiful place!