oh october

I wish October lasted for 2 months.  Maybe 3.  It's pretty much my favorite month of the year.  Don't get me wrong, I am a winter lover and all the fun holidays that it brings, but October is pretty special.  It is cool and colorful, with random warm sunny days wedged between windy cold days.  The leaves changing stun me every time it happens, and I just want the colors to last for a lot longer than the 2 to 3 weeks that it does.  Back home, living on Lake Michigan, the colors would build to a colorful intensity so gorgeous that it would take your breath away.  And then the very next day, bitter winter winds would knock them all down.  Here in the middle of Missouri, the colors take their time, and never build to quite a crescendo, but it does get quite pretty, and then the color sticks around a bit longer.  So I am really enjoying that this year.  The leaves are reaching their peak, and they don't seem ready to leave quite yet.  I'm completely ok with that.

So I love the Fall colors so much, I can't help but bring it inside, too.  I can't say I decorate with a sparing hand, and I never know when too much is well, too much.  But I like it just the same.  So here's a peek of our home, decorated for Fall.  And a little for Halloween, too.

 

pumpkin carving

We spent this past weekend nursing colds.  Poor Rowan had a fever on Saturday, and slept the day away.  It really bugs me that parents send their kiddos to school when they are contagious.  I know that some parents don't have other alternatives, and I feel for them.  But I keep my littles at home when I know they can pass their bug along.  Sorry, rant over.  It's just hard to see your little struggle with being ill when there are so many fun Fall activities to be doing!

Luckily we were able to fit in a fun Fall activity at our friend's the weekend before at their pumpkin carving party!  Dan and Lacy bravely invited a few families with lots of kiddos over to wield knives over pumpkins.  Fletcher was really into it, and he and Brian got one carved up, with his direction of "triangle eyes, rhombus nose, and Spongebob's teeth." The boy is specific, I'll give him that!  Rowan just wanted to draw her face on with a sharpie and call it a day.  We spent the rest of the party eating delicious chili and sipping hot cider around a fire.  It was the perfect pumpkin carving party!

As you can see, there were some very creative pumpkins in there!  Thanks so much to Dan and Lacy for a perfect night!

exciting news!

You guys.  I've completely lost my blogging mojo.  I'm just going to go ahead and blame the PREGNANCY!  Yay!  We're so happy, so excited to share with everyone that there will be a number 3 little born sometime in May.  I've been actually feeling pretty crummy, lots of nausea, and awfully tired.  But I am not here to complain.  I am here to celebrate another new beginning in our lives, and our hearts are beyond full.  We haven't shared with our kiddos yet, but when we do, I'm sure I'll have some of their thoughts to share here, too.  So far, when I bring up the possibility of having a baby join our family, their responses range from, "no thank you" to "well, how about a BIG brother instead?" Should be an interesting conversation when it happens.

All I know is that Brian and I could not be happier to have seen a bouncing little peanut waving tiny arms and legs at us today.  And a strong beating heart.

fall festivals

One of my favorite parts of Fall is all the festivals.  Oktoberfests, pumpkin patch festivals, and all the rest.  I love them.  There was a festival at one of our favorite parks last weekend, so we made sure to make time for it.  The leaves were just beginning to change, and the weather was warm.  Since last weekend, the leaves have changed drastically, and the colder air has moved in.  So I might have to run back to the park this weekend for the dramatic tree pictures!  We had a great time listening to music, drinking apple cider, and feeding the fish in the trout hatchery.  And I actually brought my camera and used it, so wonders really WILL never cease!  I've been so buried in opening the shop, I've had a hard time documenting life here lately.

Here's to hoping for a change in that!  I am really hoping to get out of this no picture rut.  This time of year can sometimes help inspire me to take my camera wherever I go, lest I miss out on a panoramic view of vibrant trees somewhere!

 

**Thank you, friends for all the love and support on my new shop!  And some of you even ordered from me already!  I appreciate more than I can say.**

GRAND OPENING!

Now you know why I haven't been around here lately.  I've been focused on opening up my etsy shop!  Right now through Friday you can use the coupon code grandopening to get $5 off when you spend $30 or more.  I really appreciate all the support and love, my friends.  Thank you.  Now go and visit!

Etsy shop: My Trash and Treasure