Kristin and Jonathan's Wedding

My little sister is MARRIED! It's been neat to watch Kristin grow from my "little" sister & playmate into a beautiful young lady who loves the Lord. As kids we always had so much fun playing together and more recently we've become good friends, although, I must admit that she lives too far away from me! :) Kristin, I can't wait to now chat about married life with you!

Jonathan and Kristin's wedding was held in Columbia, MO on Oct. 18....and what a celebration it was to watch 2 wonderful individuals join together with God as their foundation! Our family had a big part in the wedding as I was maid of honor, Braden was ring bearer, & Ashlyn was one of the flower girls. Of course Sheldon took some photos for fun too (you won't catch him without a
camera)!
Jon and Kristin...may God continue to be YOUR ROCK as your begin your lives together!

Braden and Ashlyn with Aunt Kristin and their new Uncle Jonathan.

Chatting with my Grandma Hansen

Even a tuxedo won't keep Braden away from the sticks!

With the help of my Uncle Randy Ashlyn caught the bouquet!

Now that's a scary thought.

Change of Seasons

Fall is in the air! This season is bittersweet for me. I enjoy the fall colors and baking, pumpkins, crisp sunny days, & the nearness of holidays. On the other hand, fall means the death of hot summer days, lazy afternoons by the kiddy pool, BBQs on the deck, & picnics in the park...AND winter lingers just around the corner. Although not always easy, I am thankful for a change of seasons. It seems as though spiritually God is working in my life to accept the "new seasons" that he has for our family and to be willing to let him change my heart as life unfolds.

Here are some highlight photos taken this fall season:

Pumpkin Patch

Sheldon got a great picture of Braden, who loves the candle in his pumpkin.




We enjoyed a fall day at the park with Michael and Chandelle and their girls. It's so fun to get all the cousins together to play!

Family Times

We've enjoyed some fun days with family this past month: In September, Sheldon's grandparents came down from the Seattle area to visit so we all enjoyed time with them....

Ashlyn and with her Great Grandma Nalos

There's always great food & fellowship when the Nalos family gathers!

Chandelle (Sheldon's sister) and Lily (our niece)


IT'S PARTY TIME......

On the 22nd of Oct. Ashlyn turned 2
(and I won't mention what birthday it was for me)!

Bob's Red Mill: Our Outing with Nana JJ

Last week Sheldon was in Denver for work so Sheldon's mom & I decided it would be fun to take the kids on an outing. We went to Bob's Red Mill near Portland, a name of which some of you health nuts may recognize!


This mill grinds several kinds of grains and packages and manufacturers natural foods in a natural way (www.bobsredmill.com). This is definitely a place we were both excited about since we are interested in eating as healthy as possible. After the tour of the mill, where we learned all about our favorite grains, we headed over to the bakery for a wonderful lunch and treats! Our outing concluded with a shopping trip at the on-site store for all of our favorite grains, cereals, and beans. You can't just get some of these in a regular grocery store!

Since I really enjoy grinding my own grains into flour at home this was the store for me. Many of these grains are healthier than regular flour, which is why I'm interested in them. Some of the grains I use are wheat, quinoa, spelt, amaranth, kamut, buckwheat, and rye. I enjoy combining them in our favorite bread, muffin, waffle, and cookie recipes. I know you must think I'm strange, but I consider this a hobby for me! I'm sure Jackie and I looked like 2 kids in candy store as we loaded up our carts!

Thanks Nana JJ for the outing, we always enjoy a day with you!

Look a the silly hair/beard nets the workers wear. The kids
thought they were fun "costumes."

Here is a muffin recipe we've enjoyed this week using some of the our freshly ground grains (you can substitute with any flours).

Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins

Praline Top (Optional):
2 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/3 cup flour (I used spelt flour)
1 Tbsp. of ground flax
1/3 cup of oats or chopped pecans

Muffin Batter:
2 cups flour (I used a combo of spelt, amaranth, wheat, and white)
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp. aluminum free baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp each of nutmeg, cloves, & ginger
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
1/3 cup canola or grapeseed oil
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup dried cranberries or raisins

Combine topping ingredients using a pastry blender to make a crumb topping.

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Combine and whisk together wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients until just blended. Fold in raisins or cranberries. Pour batter into muffin tins and sprinkle on praline topping. Bake 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees until toothpick comes out clean. Makes approx. 1 dozen.

Our Vegetable Garden

One of my summer highlights is growing my own vegetable garden. Since I enjoy being outdoors, it's relaxing for me to work in the garden. It's also very rewarding to sow the seeds and watch the plants grow and finally produce beautiful vegetables. It kinda reminds me of how I desire my life to be producing spiritual "fruit" (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control), especially as a witness to my children who will learn what it means to live for Jesus from me (WOW...what a big responsibility I have been given)! The garden has also been fun for the kids. Braden loves to help me "work" in the garden and pick the veggies when they are ready. As fall is here, our garden produce will soon be coming to an end, but we look forward to a new season next spring.