Fall Favorites

Fall is here and boy is the weather nice! I would say it's my favorite time of year, but truthfully, there are things about each season that I love, so I'll just not pick a favorite :) (Other than I'm pretty sure winter would rank at the bottom...especially after last year's ordeal! About having your husband squashed by a falling pine tree during the ice storm of the century kind of makes one not wish for that season to come round too soon!!)

There are so many things that I LOVE about autumn. The cooler temperatures and crisp air that make working outside in the daytime so pleasant, but make evenings perfect for snuggling under a toasty blanket. Those first mugs of warm cocoa, big pots of chili and soups...even though we eat those things year round, there's just something about eating it when the temps start changing that make you all warm. Pumpkins, gourds, straw and mums...there's just nothing else to say other than they ARE the colors of fall, and boy are they gorgeous! I love the changing leaves on the trees and there's just something about seeing them falling to the ground...but of course that means they're gonna have to be raked up and I really don't like seeing the totally bare trees since I know winter is peeking around the corner at us. Hanging fall wreaths (which I hope to do today, or else I'm gonna have to put on my Christmas one instead!), and the smell of fall candles...pumpkin pie and mulled cider are my favorite autumn scents! FALL BREAK!! What more can you say about that one! I love having the boys home with me! I enjoy taking a trip to the orchard to buy apples, and we plan to go one day next week! I'm pretty sure I'll have to have an apple cider slush and most definitely a caramel apple!!! I love bonfires and hayrides...can't wait till we have our annual one! There's just something about sitting around a fire on a chilly night! (The food is great too!) Then comes Halloween!! Kiddies in costumes, trick-or-treating and parties...SO much fun! I've already planned Matthew's outfit, but Jacob is still deciding :) Candy corn...it just tastes better this time of year than any other time! Those cooler temps make movie watching the perfect activity and we do have our favorites! How silly is this, but my favorite movie to watch this time of year is Barney's Halloween Party! I love the songs on there and it just puts you in the autumn spirit! Another *must see* is Double Double Toil and Trouble, with the Olsen Twins! My niece Ashlee and I have watched that movie every year since she was very small and we continue to do so to date, even though she's 16 and I'm 31. We were going to watch it last night, but Matthew thought differently about it. We always watch the Barney one too, and I was informed I had to bring it up to Mamaw's soon...bet I know what we'll do one day next week! Hmmm, just a thought, but that would be perfect for when we come back from the orchard :) I also like: The Littlest Vampire (used to think Matthew looked just like that little boy!), The Haunted Mansion, Sesame Street Halloween, Halloweentown, Twitches, It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown...see a pattern here...I DO NOT like scary movies and WILL NOT watch them!!!! I can't forget the fall birthdays! October is full up for us...Jason's and my brother's is tomorrow, and both mom and dad have one this month along with their anniversary! Lots of getting together with family and birthday cake!!! I don't want to fail to mention that October holds the best memory for me...22 years ago this month, I was saved during a revival at Cedar Springs. I wouldn't trade that for anything and it definitely makes this time of year that much more special!

Happy Fall Y'all!