Seasons change-

So, I was driving down one of the streets in our neighborhood last week and noticed how quickly some of the trees are changing now.  I thought it was so strange, though, how one tree is turning all of the beautiful colors of fall but the tree next to it is still holding strong to the green leaves it proudly bloomed last spring!

This year has been a crazy year for us- we have had so many "seasons" in the Russell house it is kind of hard to count them all.  So many of my dear friends and family members have had difficult seasons they faced this past year as well.  Our lives are a little like the trees in my neighborhood- seasons come and go even if you don't want them to or don't feel prepared for the change.  Each season we experience touches us in different ways and each person will probably react to the changes differently as well.  Some of us will hold on desperately to the seasons we have gone through- not wanting to let go of pain, sadness or difficulty. Some of us will be thankful for the past and the lessons we have learned but are proud to display the colors we have well worked so hard for and we look forward to the future and the newness that will surely come.  I think about the verses in Ecclesiastes chapter 3 that so many musicians have written songs about over the years-

3:1 Everything on earth has its own time and its own season. 2. There is a time for birth and death, planting and reaping, 3.  For killing and healing, destroying and building. 4.  for crying and laughing, weeping and dancing. 5. for throwing stones and gathering stones.  For embracing and parting. 6. There is a time for finding and losing.  Keeping and giving.  7.  For tearing and sewing, listening and speaking. 8.  There is also a time for love and hate, for war and peace.


I pray you will grow to be thankful for every season you find yourself walking through- even though some are difficult to walk through, they are each a precious blessing.

A dear friend of mine, Kathy Chambers, gave this recipe to me.  I LOVE pumpkin and anything that has pumpkin in it reminds me of the fall- my favorite season by far.  I hope you all enjoy this recipe.  You can't get much easier than this!!!!

So here it is:

1 box of yellow or spice cake mix
1 can of pumpkin

mix together and bake as directed on the back of the cake mix.  You seriously can't get much easier than this.

You can also use this as a dip.  There are no raw ingredients you need to worry about in this recipe so mix together, stick in the fridge and when ready, get out the graham crackers, sprinkle a little cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice over the top of the mixture and enjoy.  It tastes like pumpkin pie without all of the added calories!!

Total Cost for this recipe:

Box Cake Mix: .89 cents at Aldi
Pumpkin Pie filling: 1.00 at target

How much does it make?  I was able to get 15 regular cupcakes and 12 mini cupcakes out of the mixture.