Can You Feel It??

There's something special in the air-can you feel it?? I'll give you a few hints: there's a chill to the air, you're wearing blue jeans now & a jacket in the mornings for sure, there are pumpkins on the front porches of your neighbors, it's dark by 6:30 & if you're like me you already have your pjs on(oh, come on, I know I'm not the only one!!), you've fired up the fireplace a few times, and of course the leaves have changed to the most beautiful shades of red, orange, yellow....

IT'S FALL!!! And it's my favorite time of the year! I actually feel better overall in the fall & especially my mood is improved(except for PMS week, I'm still a b---). I'm just not a summer girl, never have been. 90-100 degrees day after day, no thank you. All the bugs, especially the wasps & mosquitos, again, no thank you. The only good thing about summer is that Katelyn is home with me 24/7. Seriously, I'm just not a hot weather gal. I could never say retire to Arizona where there are no seasons. I would need serious Prozac. In Arizona they have hot, very hot, stifling, and not as hot. That's it!!! When the subtle "change" from summer to fall occurs I actually FEEL it! Aside from the obvious changes that you can see, ie. the leaves changing, pumpkins etc., the transition from summer to fall has a physical effect on me as well.

The first sign that fall is approaching is when Starbuck's brings back the Pumpkin Spice Latte. Just a little bit of heaven in a cup! Seriously! I have one almost every day. (3 WW points, but I will not give them up-ever!!) Besides, milk does a body good, or so I've heard!

If there's a prettier place to see the changing of leaves in fall, I haven't been there yet. It's absolutely gorgeous in Colorado right now. With the mountain backdrop & the bright shades of red, orange, & yellow leaves, I just can't help but smile. I know I'm a goofball, but it's true I actually smile out loud at God's beautiful creation!

Reading a good book in front of a warm fireplace, snuggled up in a blanket, fall-scented candle burning, sipping something like hot cocoa or coffee, with a little rain or snow outside my window, maybe a little popcorn, and a rambunctious 5-year-old playing in the basement with her daddy is my idea of pure perfection. I can not think of a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon. I'm so glad we finished our basement so I can send the two of them down there to build forts, wrestle, play games or whatever, so I can read in comfort, peace, & quiet.

I am a huge fan of holidays! I love a reason to celebrate & fall has some of my favorite holidays: Halloween, my birthday(yes, my birthday is officially a holiday in this household!), Thanksgiving, and even though Christmas (which is my favorite holiday) is technically in the winter season, I start preparing and decorating in November.

Halloween takes on new meaning when you have a little one. I always liked Halloween, but I love it now. Katelyn gets SO excited!! We carve pumpkins, roast pumpkin seeds, dress up & go trick-or-treating, hand out candy, attend Jen & Treva's Halloween party(an event we look forward to all year!), have a Halloween party at Katelyn's school complete with parade, watch Halloween-theme shows on T.V. Even at 39, I still look forward to "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" as much as I did when I was a kid!

I'm very excited to be turning 40 this year. I mean what's all the fuss about? Not only am I in better physical shape than I was at 30, but I feel better about my life overall. It's not that I have it "all" figured out yet, it's just that I'm a bit calmer, a bit wiser, a bit more confident, and a whole lot more grateful!! Grateful for so many blessings which brings me to Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is sadly becoming the forgotten holiday. I mean the stores already have their Christmas displays out. Thanksgiving is still an important day in our household. A special time to gather with family & friends and to give thanks for the many blessings we enjoy. I am so blessed. I have a loving family, hard-working husband who is also an amazing father, incredible daughter who has brought such love, laughter, & light into my life, good health, and the best friends anyone could ask for. I don't take any of it for granted. And I am reminded every fall on my birthday and at Thanksgiving just how good I have it!!

I also cook differently in the fall. I love to make chili, stews, and soups-not something I do a lot in the summertime. I look forward to making pumpkin bread and pumpkin pie and really anything with pumpkin it. In general, I bake A LOT more which makes Mr. Sweet-tooth VERY happy. I look forward to the big Thanksgiving feast we have every year with the same traditional foods I grew up eating at Thanksgiving.

I look forward to putting my "Christmas Village" up in early November. Because it takes me a week or longer now, it has officially become a "holiday village". Katelyn loves helping me, and someday it will be my great pleasure to pass everything on to her. (Maybe she'll still call me up, and ask me to come help her set everything up!)

I look forward to visits to the pumpkin patch, circus, Miller Farms & Anderson Farms, long walks around the neighborhood, cuddling, puppet shows, Christmas shopping, my birthday(did I already mention that?), going to the zoo, taking a drive up in the mountains, museums, the new fall t.v. shows(The Vampire Diaries rules!!), holiday-themed movies, rainy/snowy fall days, decorating our house, and the list goes on...

I love fall. I truly do. And right now it's snowing just a little, the fireplace is burning, my "fall leaves" candle is scenting my whole house, and Katelyn would like me to pop some popcorn, cuddle up, & read some stories. It just doesn't get any better than this!