Fall in is the Air

Can you believe it? The leaves have turned and are now falling on the ground, the air has cooled and houses are adorned in Halloween decor. Autumn really is here. I do love this time of year. It means the start of quality time...special time. And for my family even more special now that we have a child. A couple of weekends ago we took a trip on the Mt. Hood Historic Railroad up to a pumpkin patch where Brooke got to pick out her own pumpkin. This weekend the three of us were outside raking leaves...yep, even Brooke! She had her own little broom but was an even bigger fan of the full-sized rake! Her costume is here -- I can't say that I found the same creative inspiration as last year but this year is different because in a weird way, she has a say. I wanted her to be something that she kind of understood. So we'll see. It might only stay on for 30 seconds, but that is okay. My husband made homemade cider, complete with cinnamon sticks. Football is in full swing (have I mentioned Oregon is ranked #5 in the nation?!) and of course fall TV is back on! It's all fantastic. It's a snowball effect after Halloween hits with Thanksgiving right around the corner, followed by putting up Christmas lights, getting the tree, doing the shopping, throwing and hosting the parties and then of course the big day. This is what I mean by quality time. It's a special time of year. I relish in it...and I realize how blessed we are and how much I love those around me. I hope you feel it too.