Turkey Trotters!

Here we are in our new race t-shirts,

after we had gotten home and cleaned

up of course! We had so much fun!

Pumpkin Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

1 c butter, softened

2 c brown sugar

4 large eggs

1 15oz canned pumpkin

3 c flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 & 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp allspice

1/2 c whole milk

Frosting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 (9 inch) cake pans with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium speed with mixer until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in pumpkin until smooth.

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and salt. Gradually add to butter mixture, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Spoon batter evenly into prepared pans, bake for 22 to 27 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks. Spread Maple Cream Cheese frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Store in refrigerator and ENJOY!

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

12 oz cream cheese, softened

3/4 c butter, softened

4 1/2 c confectioner's sugar

2 T pure maple syrup

1/4 tsp cinnamon

In a large bowl beat cream cheese and butter at high speed with mixer until fluffy. Reduce to low speed and add syrup and cinnamon. Gradually beat in confectioner's sugar until smooth. Use immediately.

Thanksgiving Day

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving that was filled with great family time and way to much food! Don't get me wrong, it was delish (no one can make better dressing than mom) but I ate like there was no tomorrow! I made a Pumpkin cake with Maple Cream Cheese icing, it was my first time to make it and it was scrumptous, I will post the recipe soon. It is a good thing Suzanne and I were troopers and got up at the crack of dawn and ran the Turkey Trot in Shreveport! Maybe it burned off one bite of the Pumpkin cake!! :) Later in the afternoon Dad hooked up the tractor and trailer, loaded it with hay bales, and took us on a hay ride. The kids loved it. We didn't get to go the the river and play in the sand like we usally do because of all the rain we have been getting, there is no sandbar at this time...maybe next year! I posted a few pictures from the ride. Hopefully all of you had a great Turkey day and rembered the things you were thankful for!

Gobble Gobble Gobble!

This Thanksgiving Suzanne and I will be running in the annual Turkey Trot in Shreveport! I'm so excited, it has been forever since we have run in a race together. It starts at 8:30 Thanksgiving morning and hopefully it will make us feel a little bit better about having that second helping of turkey and dressing and pumpkin pie! Stay posted for picutures and wish us luck!

Christmas time is here at the Van Meter's

Well this evening I got home from grocery shopping and John met me at the front door asking if I wanted to put the Christmas tree! He didn't have to ask me twice, after all, I had been wanting to put it up since last weekend but he wanted to wait till after Thanksgiving...so I don't know what got into him. :) As we were putting up the tree, we turned on Christmas carols and drank hot apple cider, I felt like a kid again. We had a blast and I took a picture or two of the project...i'll have to post another once I get finished with the tree topper. Merry Christmas from Jessica and John!

More Pictures!

This evening John and I went downtown to capture a few pictures for a Christmas card and I have to say Keli did a great job of being our photographer! Here are just a few of my favorites...it is going to be so hard to pic just one to put on our Christmas card! Decisions Decisions!!

My first photo shoot

John got me a new camera for my birthday back in September and I have to say I have fallen in love with it! It's a Nikon D5000. One day I hope to take a photography class and maybe have a little job on the side of my Nursing career. Here's just a very few of the pictures from my first photo shoot...thanks to a bueatiful family I think they turned out pretty good!