Fall

I am truly happy I live in an area where I get to experience every season of the year.  They're just long enough that by the end of one, I'm ready for the next.  Fall is just about here!  The leaves are beginning to change, the mornings are a bit more crisp, and the summer sun is no longer dominating the skies.  Kids are back into their school routine and  holiday decorations are already finding their way on store shelves.  Fall is my favorite season!  I look forward to it every year and I wish it could last much longer than it does.  Since it can’t, I always make it a point to fully appreciate it while it’s here.  In no particular order, here are the things I love about fall:

1. The colors! Red, orange, yellow, brown and green hues swirl together to make this part of the country look like it’s warmed by fire.  The colors blend together so beautifully and I’m especially thankful for God’s creation this time of year.

2. Sleeping with the windows open.  There’s something refreshing about crisp, cool, fall mornings.  I love the snuggling under the covers on the weekends and warming up with a cup of hot tea or coffee when I finally get out of bed.

3. Slippers. With wood floors, I’m sure I’ll get a lot of use out of my slippers this fall.

4. Pumpkin spice and apple scented candles lit around the house. It’s one of the things that makes our house a home. The smell of fall is so welcoming and warming.

This is one of my MOST favorite things about fall. I enjoy getting bundled up and taking a trip to a local apple orchard. At my favorite orchard, you can take a hay ride out to the furthest apple trees and pick your own apples. Of course, you can also get doughnuts with apple butter, piping hot apple cider, honey sticks, caramel apples, and an abundance of other homemade health food.

6. Sipping hot cider. I don’t think I’d find this as enjoyable any other time of year. Cider and fall go together like watermelon and summer.

7. Baking apple and pumpkin flavored goodies! I can almost smell it now. I have a lot of delicious apple recipes that I hope to highlight this fall. I can’t wait for that smell to fill our house!

8. Homemade soups, stews and roasts. Fall is when the oven and crock pot get the most use. The house stays filled with savory aromas of foods that comfort and stick to your ribs!

9. Bonfires. I love those fall evenings that are chilly, but not frigid. The warmth of an outside fire is relaxing and therapeutic.

Harvest!  It always makes me smile when I see farmers reaping what they worked so hard for in the spring and prayed so hard for in the summer.

11. Carving pumpkins and making pumpkin seeds. It’s a fun way to get friends together.

12. The harvest moon. It’s haunting and majestic all at the same time.

13. Cozy clothes, stylish jackets, fun scarves and cute boots. I’m a much bigger fan of my fall wardrobe than I am my summer wardrobe. To me, fall always means more comfortable clothes, layers and fashion.

14. Candy corn and peanut mix. That’s basically all that needs to be said about that!

Mums! It’s not that these plants are all that pretty or even smell particularly good. I think it’s just that they always show up in the fall. My love of fall covers ALL things fall, including mums.

16. Football - of course!

17. Festivals. They are everywhere and I love going to them! I enjoy perusing the vendors’ booths, scoping out the fiddle competitions, and chowing down on a homemade goodie or two.

18. Nashville, Indiana. Taking a road trip down to Nashville, IN during the fall is always on the to-do list. Nashville boasts of unrivaled nature scenes in the fall. I am in love with its breathtaking beauty, quaint shops and delicious soul food.

What about you!? What are your favorite things about fall?