Fall

Sydney's First Trip to a pumpkin patch.


First Hayride, I cannot believe how little she was and how dark her hair was at the time.

Trip to pumpkin patch last year with Aunt Ashley

Playing in leaves by our house.

I love fall. I know it is technically not autumn yet but it has started to feel that way so I am thinking about it a lot these days. It has still been hot here in the daytime but cool and crisp in the early mornings and evenings. I love the cool temperatures, the jean and long sleeved shirt weather.

I love when the leaves change colors and fall. We have lots of trees and therefore lots of leaves, we love to rake leaves into piles and Sydney and I run through them and lay in them before Bill gets them out of the yard. I love apples and going to the orchard. I make a few recipes in the fall that I do not make any other time of year, including a family favorite- apple pizza and also apple crisp.

We enjoy going to the pumpkin patch and finding a pumpkin. Although going to the pumpkin patch here in North Carolina is way different than it was in Michigan. The first year we went after moving here I could not figure out why the hay ride was so uncomfortable and then I realized it was because I was wearing shorts and a tank top and the hay was pricking my legs. In Michigan we were always wearing jeans and usually a long sleeved shirt because it was nice and cool not 85 and humid. So even though it is usually still warm here I enjoy the hay ride. I also enjoy apple cider although I have not had any yet this year because most of the fresh stuff is not pasteurized and that is a no no while pregs. I have great memories of carving a pumpkin as a child and we always (well as long as I can remember) washed and baked the pumpkin seeds- yummy! I have yet to let Syd carve a pumpkin, we may this year! It will surely be a mess but oh well. We will also have to start the tradition of baking the seeds, I think Sydney will like them, she loves sunflower seeds and all kinds of nuts.

Do you love the fall season? Does your family have any special fall traditions?