Fall is definitely one of my favorite times of the year.
I love the changing weather and the fall holidays.
And, I really love the feeling of family.
I don't know why, but fall always makes me think of family.
Maybe because they both start with F, but I like to think I'm deeper
than that (I'm probably not, but I like to think so!)
Fall also makes me think of friends (okay, maybe it is the F)
We have many family traditions in the fall, and most of them
involve fabulous times with friends!
We even started a new tradition this year, with some
new family friends. The Twedts have been a wonderful
addition to our family friend group. They are an almost perfect
fit to our family. They have 2 kiddos that our Ella and Avery's ages.
What I love is that Avery loves, loves, loves Owen!
It is so nice to have friends that have someone Avery's age.
All of our other friends are the big girls friends and there have
been more than a few times that Aves has felt a bit left out.
So, it is so wonderful to have some friends that are more
on Avery's end than Claire's (sorry big sis!)
I'll also say, Becky and Dan aren't too bad either! :)
So, one cold fall day, Becky and I headed out to LHF for
Harvest Days. Did I mention they love LHF? They fit right in!
The kids had a great time and I enjoyed a brisk afternoon at my
favorite farm!
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| Bugs shelling some corn |
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| Claire even got in on the fun! |
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| Anna and Ella are great friends, and really enjoy their alone time, even if it's in the corn bin! |
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| Great family friends! (maybe even future husband if Aves has her way!) |
Of course, our favorite family tradition is the LHF Halloween!
The Liskeys and Rouses have been doing this for many
a year, and we love it. I think we'll drag the girls out here
well into their teenage years!
This year it was a bit cold and a way bit crowded,
but we still had fun, and no one fell in the fire pit!
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| Friends forever! |
Our other fall constant is Howell's Pumpkin Patch.
This year they offered a new attraction, much to the joy of
the kids and dismay of the moms! Mud Pie making stations!
We spent a bit of time getting muddy, then we headed to some
of our favorite spots: the growth chart, corn box, tree and hay climbers
and, of course, the ride to the pumpkin patch.
It was a beautiful day and we had a wonderful time.
I know I go on and on about traditions, but they are just
so darn important. I am incredibly grateful for them for several reasons:
1. I'm grateful that are families hold each other accountable to good,
wholesome family time
2. I'm grateful that are girls have positive friends and adults in their
life that encourage and insist upon the same values
3. I'm grateful that I have other parents that will drag their kids
out for photo ops and family fun well into adulthood, whether
they like it or not!
4. I'm so grateful for friends that encourage me and make me laugh
and are just plain good people!
5. I'm grateful that when I'm feeling lazy or tired or uninspired, I
always have a kiddo in my ear saying, "but we have to, it's a tradition!"
Everyone loved the mud pies!
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| Avery is such a big girl, in so many ways! |
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| Ella, growing into a wonderful young lady |
Where's Claire?? Good question. Apparently, I forgot to get
her growth picture. How sad is that!?! Sorry Clairebear! I love you!
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| Everyone's favorite corn pit! I think they buried Aves! |
This old tree stump is so special to me. We have
pictures of the girls walking this stump from many years past.
I pray we get to continue to snap pics of them walking it for
many years to come!
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| All by herself this year! |
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| Two amazing young ladies! So proud of both of them! |
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| Two great kiddos! Love these two angels! |
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| Aves and her pumpkin ~ Happy Fall everyone! |
