When Fall Meets Winter

Oh my, winter has come early! There is nothing more magical than the first snow of the season. Although, it came a bit sooner than expected, I love it just the same.

 Of course, not everybody feels the same as I do. The hubby is NOT a fan of snow at all! Ha!

For the Love of Fall

My love for fall has never been a secret. The colors, cooler temps, fall treats, and Halloween fun are a few of my favorite things. September and October were jam packed with all things autumn!

At the end of September, my sister Diane came to visit from Texas and we had our annual fall cookout at World's End State Park, along with my sister Karen and family, our parents, and a few of our kids. It was a great day...

..just a little chilly! Aaron, Madelyn, and Stella had to cuddle to stay warm! Ha!

 A few of the cousins.

 Pop and Aaron's usual shenanigans!

Honestly, this is my favorite place to be every fall. Spending a day unplugged, with my "circus" is a day well spent!

Our next fun, fall day was Stella's school Harvest Festival. I had the pleasure of being the tattoo lady once again this year. Thankfully, it was much warmer than last year and I didn't freeze my fingers off applying temporary tattoos to all the kiddos. Days like this, give me life!

Next up, our tiny town had it's first ever Halloween Festival! There was a pumpkin decorating contest, a costume contest, and so much more. It was followed by the annual Halloween Parade and fireworks. Another great day! 

We wrapped up October with pumpkin carving and trick or treating. Although, I love me some Christmas, I really am in no hurry to let go of fall! After all, my favorite holiday has yet to come! 

Happy Fall!

Pumpkin Carving with a Side of Grouchiness

We are rolling right along through Fall and checking things off our Fall to-do list faster than you can say "pumpkin pie"! Last night, it was pumpkin carving night. While the girls scooped the guts out of the pumpkins, I made some doughnuts. Of course by the time I was done, the kitchen was covered with pumpkin goo and the girls were getting grouchy. Sometimes, even though in my head I clearly have a perfect picture of how things will be fun and everyone will get along and be happy, it doesn't always work out that way. But, we power through and make the best of it! In the end, we have three jack o' lanterns.

I would have loved to get a picture of all three together, but Madelyn refused. :(

Oh well, maybe next year! ;)

Fall Fun

Autumn has always been my favorite season. I love the colors, the cooler temps, and warm cozy sweaters. Today, we celebrated fall with our traditional trip to World's End State Park. We had a cookout, walked in the woods, looked for the prettiest leaves, and enjoyed some much needed relaxation. It was nice...very windy and somewhat cold...but nice. Back to the real world tomorrow. Boo!

Happy Sunday!

Fabulous Fall

I'm sure I've mentioned it before, I LOVE FALL! In fact, if we could have double fall and no winter, I would be one happy girl! 

If I ever had to pick my favorite place to go in the fall, it would have to be World's End State Park and this past Sunday, the weather was perfect for a day of "unplugged" fun.

A walk in the woods with leaves crunching underfoot was just what I needed to recharge my batteries. The kids love it there too!

The colors were beautiful and the weather was amazing! Sun shining and warm enough for Stella to dip her toes in the water (Thankfully, because she fell in and was wet up to her knees!).

Of course, we love to recreate photos from the past, so Felicia decided to wear a leaf on her face again this year!

It turns out, we picked the perfect day to enjoy our favorite fall tradition. Next weekend is turning cold. Boo! I am NOT ready for winter just yet! 

I {Heart} Fall!

Every fall for as long as I can remember, we've made a trip to World's End State Park to soak in the colors of autumn. It really is my favorite place to be when the air is crisp and the leaves are vibrant. It's a great place to be unplugged and fully relaxed. Just beautiful!

We had a cookout, complete with smores and hot chocolate!

 After lunch, we headed out for a walk in the woods.

Our day was perfect, but we couldn't leave without recreating one of my favorite photos. When Madelyn was three years old, she wanted to walk along the path beside the water that has a pretty high drop without a railing. Aaron took her hand and walked with her...

October 2008

 ...six years later, they took the walk again.

October 2014

hello.

Fall is here...

The leaves are starting to become bright and beautiful...

Cooler weather...sweater weather is coming...

Apple pie and caramel apples are on the menu...

Pumpkin carving and trick or treating will be here before we know it...

It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month and this week, I had my mammogram and everything looked great! I've now been cleared to return in one year instead of six months...

...all of these things are why October is my favorite month!

Happy October!