This weekend, I pulled out the fall decorations we have, and we decorated our house. Yes, it is still technically August, but September starts tomorrow, the school year for Gabriel starts next week, and pumpkin coffee has been available at coffee shops now, so it feels like a good time to start celebrating Fall.
Fall is my favorite season. It is when the weather starts to become cooler, but not too cold, and the leaves change colors and everything outside is beautiful. With fall comes the excitement of a new school year, the upcoming holidays, and it brings a new and exciting change. I will also admit that I am one of the people who love everything pumpkin!
I have fond memories growing up of being excited for the first day of school, picking out a new jacket to wear when it got cold out, helping rake leaves in the yard (and of course, jumping in them afterwards), going to a pumpkin orchard with tractor rides and games, trick or treating with friends, delicious food for Thanksgiving, the list goes on and on! My siblings and I loved helping my mom get out all the Halloween decorations and placing them in our yard. I have a particular memory from when I was in fourth grade coming home from school and seeing that my mom pulled out all the decorations for us. She also got my siblings and I each a mini scarecrow to place in the yard and filled a bowl with candy corn to snack on inside. When we were in high school fall meant not only looking forward to the new school year, but to Friday night football games, spirit week, and homecoming. October is also when my husband and I started dating (homecoming was our first date). We will have been together for 9 years this fall!
I have passed my love of fall on to my kids. Last year they loved pumpkins and had a lot of fun trick or treating. They enjoy watching Curious George Boofest too. This year I decided to keep a tradition alive by getting each kid (including baby 4) a mini scarecrow to place in our yard. Gabriel and Rebecca were so excited to pick out their scarecrow and keep going over to the window to look at them outside.
We also have other reasons to look forward to fall. Theresa is our first fall baby and was born on Halloween last year! This year, she will turn 1 and become a big sister as baby 4 is due November 6. I have always loved the idea of having a fall baby, just in time for the holidays. It also means I get to wear sweatshirts and sweaters while I am losing the baby weight 🙂
Last year we stayed home for Thanksgiving since Theresa was still very little, and I got to make my very first Thanksgiving dinner. It was a lot of work, but so gratifying to know that I could do it (with the help of my amazing husband). I would always look at my mom and dad in admiration growing up and wonder how they managed to make such a delicious meal for everyone. Cooking is not my strength, and Thanksgiving dinner always seemed like an out of reach goal. Then last year, with a newborn and two other toddlers, we did it! It felt like a big accomplishment and an earned right into adulthood.
With all the stress this year has brought, fall is a reminder of hope of good things to come. That is why I started decorating early. I wanted to see the excitement of my kids as I got out the decorations and feel the excitement and hope they bring me. It makes me look forward to the next few months and gets me even more excited to meet our newest addition.
I have posted some pictures of the decorations that we have up so far. I hope to get some more in the next few weeks. What are some of your favorite things about fall? Where are some of your favorite places to get fall decorations?
