Fall

I think fall is my second favorite season of the year. It comes in slightly behind winter which is my all time favorite. I love the colors in the leaves as they change and the musty smell of them on the ground mixed with the crispness in the air. Especially the crisp, frosty air in the morning. I love the urge I feel to wrap myself in blankets and just not move from the couch with a good book or movie. I love how fall ushers in a season of family togetherness. The memories I have of spending Friday nights at my grandmother's while my dad, uncles and grandparents would play cards starting with the end of football season through the winter. The many happy memories that were made with my cousins, or just being with the grown-ups on those nights. I love the foods of fall. The apple cider that I drink by the gallon, the candy corn that is consumed to an excess. (and it has to be the orange, yellow, white kind. The alternate colors provided for other holidays just doesn't taste as good!) I love the rich spicy pumpkin breads, apple pies and crisps, the smell of apple butter as it simmered on my gram's stove. The casseroles that warm our houses as they cook and their comforting goodness as we enjoy them for dinner.

I enjoy the traditions that have become a part of my married life, such as our annual trip to my in-law's for Flaming Foliage, the second week-end in October. Choosing pumpkins with the kids and the new this year traditions of actually carving a jack-o-lantern and playing in the leaves. This past week, I was blessed to be watching my friend Becky's daughters who are quite a bit older than my 4 kids. It gave me the chance to do something that I hardly ever have the chance to do...rake enough leaves in the front yard for the children to play in. Oh the fun my kids had in the leaves. My only regret is that I forgot to take my camera out and capture the joy they found in such a simple childhood ritual of jumping in the leaves. I enjoy the walks we take with the kids as the opportunity provides. Like the one we took 3 weeks ago with my parents who had come over for a visit.

I love how fall beckons me to snuggle down for the coming winter, but also tempts me out for the last few precious days of sunshine.

Here are our fall pictures:

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

There is one thing about fall that I do not like in the least since becoming an adult. I don't like Halloween. I know what I just said amounts to sacrilege to some of you, but it's changed so much since I was a child that I don't recognize the holiday. I think I have turned from the holiday bit by bit over the past few years. Starting with a Preschool Story Hour Halloween party several years ago when my children were subjected to a fellow preschooler dressed as an axe murderer. He was asked to remove his mask so that he didn't scare his fellow preschoolers. Unfortunately that seems to be most of what I'm seeing. Also, to keep the "running" to a minimum, we've made our only stop the old folk's home at the hospital. Last year, we were in line with several teenage girls (16-17ish) dressed as ladies of the night. It's not worth stealing my kids innocence to let them have a bit of fun dressing up and getting candy. I'll just buy them the candy if they want it that badly. Another reason, the bigger reason we have decided not to celebrate is because I really can't find any Biblical grounds for celebrating it. Halloween doesn't have any Godly ties...in fact, it's a distinctly pagan and Wicca holiday. No need for us to join the celebrate the hold that the Devil has on this world. Please don't think I'm condemning anyone who does celebrate Halloween. This is just our way of doing things. In stead, my children are anxiously counting the days till we go to "Wuild-a-Bear" as Bug calls it. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to do a fun trip to Build-a-Bear with the kids and make a completely different set of memories. I'm looking forward to it too.

Happy Fall everyone.