Got Pumpkin?

Okay, it's the time of year that I can't bear to simply *carve* a
pumpkin... we've got to roast the seeds, roast the pumpkin, puree,
freeze some for later use, etc. We had WW pumpkin pancakes this
morning. YUM! This link has LOTS of recipes!

Enjoy!

P.S. I know I've completely neglected the family blog for a while... I've been Facebooking too much! You can find more current family pictures there! I couldn't resist sharing this picture of Carrie on All Souls' Day with a friend after Mass.

Top Ten Father Corapi Facts

Top Ten Father Corapi Facts

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This cracks me up!

Lucas' birthday trip to the Lego Store

That's one happy boy! Can you believe he's 7 now??!!

Long time, no post...

Carrie intent on driving in her carseat...

Make it and love it blog...

I've enjoyed quite a few of this lady's handmade projects. Check it out! She's got a sponsor give-away going on right now, too. Cute stuff!

Birthday girl!

Emma's 4!!!

Gotta' catch up...

I'm so VERY behind on posting all the cute photos and precious moments we've had the past few weeks (months?). I never got a chance to do the Christmas photos justice, either. Oh well... So is the life of a mother and the guilt is stacking up...

Lucas gets a Carrie cuddle

I just want a pancake, Mom...

Random pictures to share from the past couple months

Racism is just as bad on the other side...

HT: Barbara Curtis

Alien Nation

Alien Nation

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Pray for our nation!

Crafts this fall

These are a few of the things we made this fall for our church bazaar. The pig and cat are made from old socks! We have a new book on this called, Stray Sock Sewing by Daniel.

I love those cute pin cushions...

Carrie's beloved chair

This is one of Carrie's favorite perches at home. She loves climbing up there and just standing there...

Merry Christmas from the Parente family!

Christmas mantel before the mayhem begins...(2am)

Big bro and Carrie

Girls' piano recital

The girls played in a holiday piano recital at a health mall's Christmas tree festival. Here's their duet:

Homeschoolers DO go to the mall (sometimes)

Just to prove we DO make it to the mall once in a blue moon... we went a few weeks ago and saw all the Christmas finery before it got too crazy busy. My kids LOVE Pottery Barn Kids so we took in the sights there a while and let them play. Check out the weird reindeer mannequins...

My Advent wreath idea...

I got a little creative and made our Advent wreath this year with the cake dome upside down (as it can be a punch bowl) and then put a glass microwave plate on top. The kids and I collected cedar and magnolia tree clippings, etc. to put inside.

Lucas the artist

Gratuitous baby picture

Family Glue: Be Blessed! A Family Study

Family Glue: Be Blessed! A Family StudyWow, this is great! Thanks so much to Angie for giving us nourishment for our souls as we begin Advent in a few days.

Christmas Shopping Op while Helping Others

St. Athanasius Academy:: Christmas Shopping Op while Helping Others Please help out by shopping thru HIllside Ed. if you can. The Quigley family is wonderful bunch!!!

Praying for Grace: It Takes Courage

Praying for Grace: It Takes Courage

I'm copying this idea for tomorrow as we hand out literature outside of a polling site. Lord, be with us!

Gotta' share this one...

I had an incident last week with my own family that made me once again wonder why people think they can open their big mouths and comment on my family. Kim did such a nice job when put in such an awkward situation with someone who was obviously clueless as to her worldview...

God bless the little children!

Faith and Family Live!: Before Hitting Enter

This is a must-read for all the blog fans out there.

Apple Pie Tutorial

Most of you have probably made a bunch of pies before but we had such a grand time last week making pies with friends one afternoon. We had purchased a 40-lb. box of Mutzu apples at the N.C. State Farmers' Market in Raleigh and made apple recipes all week! We tried a variety of pies from The Joy of Cooking, all similar and all good. This was home economics at its best! The only real tip I have is to be sure not to overwork the dough. You are NOT looking for the pie dough to be elastic like pizza dough.... yuck!

Newest member of our animal family...

SneakyBaby!

Under
my
desk!

Gnomes, finally!

Some of us (ahem) are a bit late on the take-off... we're FINALLY getting our gnomes made for our mathematical tale!

Emma in pink....again

The elusive big brother with Carrie

Gnome home surprise

Someone's moved in at my folks' house! Wonder who it could be?!

Joint effort headboard project

I'm so proud of dh and myself. We collaborated on this king-size headboard for our bed. I was inspired by an article in a home decorating magazine I saw in a doctor's waiting room. ;-) I originally wanted to get a blue and white toile but I was too stingy to order the fabric, knowing that I would probably want to recover this thing in a few years to change things. The hardest part (for me) was matching up the pattern perfectly to make that center seam. I love it! Of course, I meant to post this a year and a half ago when we did it. :-)

Labor Day at the beach

We finally are sheperds!

We got a sheep! Lucas proudly proclaimed that now he is a sheperd.

A Candidate for our daughters...

I thought this was an interesting article to share with you all by my friend, Mary Ellen. I think we all need to pray and research all we can about the candidates we elect this November. Please remember to always pray for our leaders!

Wordless Wed. Picture

Chickens on the loose!

You know, I LOVE the idea of "pastured poultry" and that's what ours have been. But lately, these new hens and our roosters have over-stepped their boundaries. They have about a half acre to roam, why do they have to get all up in my yard?! They are about to be old enough to start laying eggs so we've GOT to get them on the straight and narrow path. Here's today's evidence. I looked out the dining room window and there they are, eating my grape tomatoes! Max the cat was of no use, either.

Queenship of Mary party!

We had such a great time! Too bad more folks couldn't make it but we had a grand time, nonetheless. And check out that great craft we made! My friend thinks of the BEST crafts! That Mary doll is made from a dishwashing liquid bottle! I wish I had snapped more photos of how it was made. Maybe that'll come later. And guess who came to visit? MavMama!Wow! It was a great day!

Where's baby?

Here I am!

Wet and Wild!

A few pictures from our "daycation"...

Belated Birthday notes

Dear Lucas turned 6 a few weeks ago and here are the highlights....

Six month old Carrie

Finally got some pictures made to give out to family. :-)

Summer happenings...

1930s Marital Scale

106 As a 1930s wife, I am Very Superior Take the test!

Couldn't help but chuckle at more than a few of these questions...

Check it out!

Happy 9th Birthday, Mary!!!!

We love you, sweetie!

Misc. pictures too funny and cute not to share

She turned 6 mos. old this week!

Where has the time gone? She's scooting on the floor now, too! My little sunshine!

First bite and other Carrie moments

She was having no part of that banana. ;-) And her first tooth broke through the last couple of days, too!

Back patio is poured now...

So it's time we start to do something to the back mud-pit yard. I can't wait to get hubby's hammock on that patio!

So here's the other end of the house we're working on...

Here's what the Parentes like to do after supper when the weather is nice...





We're working our way around the house with plants, mulch and the like...

Newly weeded and mulched garden path....

Sorry I'm a bit later than I anticipated on loading these but I really wanted to get some good shots after my sweet husband brought in the new mulch and all. I need to add some plants here(suggestions are welcome!) but I'm not sure what to put because of the light in that spot. So here's LOTS more of the garden path....

Garden path with its newest additions for the spring

My dear husband added these pretty stones from his folks' in KY to our pathway and you can see the hydrangeas that were starting to bloom then. Oh and a new angel for the yard, too. This was before weeding... I'll get another of it up here that was taken more recently tonight.

Catching up...

Pinkalicious!

Mary sandwich

Angelic face

They grow too fast!

Bundle of love!

Carrie Parente... at about 3 months. (Yes, I'm slow in posting.) She turned 5 months old this week!

Locks of love from Mary