Fall: A few of my favorite things

September 3, 2008

I love fall and I am so excited that it is quickly approaching. I know many people love the relief that spring can bring after a long cold winter, but it rains way too much for me in the spring. I am a complete sucker for fall though. So many great things happen that time of year. First, there are the colors. When we lived in Arkansas, I loved driving home for Thanksgiving through the Ozark Mountains. The colors were absolutely astounding, the air smelled crisp and fresh, and I could hear the sound of a banjo off in the distance. Yes, it was heaven. Jeremiah and I used to take walks around Wheaten (Chicagoland), our old stomping ground, during the fall and I would just take the scenery in. We are lucky enough to have a tree in our backyard that turns bright red in the fall. It looks like a big ball of fire from a distance and I love it! Then there are the holidays. I know that as a Christian, I am supposed to write Halloween off as this horrible holiday, and I have tried, but I love Halloween. I loved dressing up as a kid and I find myself dressing my children up as well. Then, there is Arwyn’s birthday, my birthday, and Thanksgiving. Who doesn’t love birthdays and a huge feast?! I love giving presents and making my kids adorable cakes. Plus, I found out I was pregnant with Breckin the day after my birthday, and that is a moment I will remember forever. And perhaps one of my favorite things about fall is the pumpkin picking. I have always really enjoyed going to pumpkin patches, even before kids. Jeremiah and I went to a pumpkin patch in college and spent a cold rainy hour out in a field picking out the perfect pumpkin. Then, we went into the country store and bought a fall staple, apple butter. YUM! Right before we had Arwyn, we took Breckin to a pumpkin patch and plan to visit another one this fall for sure. I think both of the kids will have a blast. Today it is about 58 degrees here, thanks to a storm front that moved in. And while I know the weather won’t last, I can’t help but feel excited knowing that fall is right around the corner. The smell of apple pie baking, the sound of kids knocking on the door on Halloween, picking pumpkins with the kids….the anticipation is killing me, so I am posting a few pictures to hold me over.

The tree of fire