Blessings

Reading other peoples posts have helped me count my blessings.
I'm not very good at words, but here goes.................

• I'm thankful for the trials Travis and I have faced. They've strengthened our marriage and commitment to God.
• I'm thankful for my son, we've had our problems but I can see were he really tries to please his Dad & Mom. I'm thankful for his questions and imput on the bible.
• I'm thankful for our oldest daughter. For the connection we have after wondering how to learn & know her.
• I thank God for the sisters who were with me during her birth. That they came by in love & kindness to instruct me to start giving her formula. I'd just been on my knees in my secret place asking for guidance. Here they came totally prepared.
• Also thanks for the times untold I'd call Sis Rosalee during a 1 hour feeding for her encouragement in making Syble eat.
• I'm thankful for all the mother's I've had in the faith.
• Thanks for my Mother-in-Law who taught me the importance of family.
• For my little "Melody" who is constantly singing praises to God from her heart.
• For Travis who somehow sees and knows all my weaknesses and shortcomings and still thinks I'm the greatest woman in the world.
• For parents who taught me the Love of God, his people, and the Faith.
• Thanks and praise to God that he saw me and chose me to be his child.
• Thanks to my sisters who've caught me short a time or two and taught me lessons on love and family.
• Thanks to God for taking me through the dark times and reminding me were I've been and were I could be.

Pumpkin the Cheaty Way

The last time I put up pumpkin I cooked it all day long and it did not get fully cooked even then. That was after cleaning the pumpkin out, gutting it, and cutting it up into many small pieces. Needless to say it has been many years since I put up pumpkin.
Today while I was on the phone with my mom I remembered a real easy way to cook squash that an older sister told me one time. So I cut the pumpkin in half, gutted it, washed it, turned the 2 halves upside down on a sprayed cookie sheet, put in a 350 degree oven and went on about school work and errands. When I had time to deal with it again, about an hour and half or so later, IT WAS DONE!!! I drained most of the juice off of the pan, peeled the skin right off, put it in a bowl with some of the juice, mashed it and it is ready to go!!! YEAH!!!
This was just a Med-small pumpkin and it made 4-5 quarts. I have 3 small, 1 med, and a green squash left to cook. Now all I have to do is figure out how to put it up and what to do with all of it. LOL! I know what people are getting for Christmas this year. (;