The scent of freshly-dug peanuts in the air, watching my boys play in the marching band, enjoying a pumpkin spice latte or hot apple cider - these are a few of my favorite things! I love driving down the road and seeing the colorful leaves fall to the ground, only to be picked up and tossed around by the wind like confetti. When the weather cools off enough to bring out my scarves, vests, sweaters, and boots, it makes me happy. Even the colors of Fall - red, yellow, orange - have always been my favorites!
I have always enjoyed Halloween, even though as a child I did not get to trick-or-treat very often, thanks to living way out in the country. But, Fall festivals in our little community with apple bobbing, costume contests, and haunted houses made up for it. As a teen, my friends and I created our own haunted house downtown using the house my friend’s parents were renovating. We may have had a little too much fun scaring the children (and their mamas!). Even now, dressing up my family for our church’s Trick-or-Trunk is a project I enjoy. This year, we were a 3-Ring Circus - kind of like every day! You can read more about our costumes in my blog, A Trophy Family with a Winning Recipe.
Soon after Halloween, we get to celebrate Thanksgiving as well. What could be better than gathering with family and friends to eat, play, laugh, reminisce, and rest together? Counting our blessings is something we should certainly do everyday throughout the year, but setting aside a day to do it together makes it even more meaningful. You can learn more about my family's Thanksgiving traditions by reading Thanksgiving at the Cabin.
It seems that Fall is the season for class reunions and family reunions, school homecomings as well as church homecomings. It’s a season of gathering together, whatever the reason to celebrate may be. And, even if you’d rather be watching a football game or sitting in a deer stand, you have to admit that doing those things with your family and friends makes it more fun.
My family of boys and I enjoy camping, especially in the Fall. Although we have graduated from a tent to borrowing my in-laws' camper, you can see some of our favorite camping trips in my blog, 5 Southern Camping Spots. We did not get to go camping this Fall, but we did take a couple of day trips to enjoy the season. We had a blast at the Georgia National Fair in Perry, Georgia. (And, for the record, no, we did not name our youngest son after the Fair or the Livestock Show that also takes place in that city. ;) Purchasing Georgia Grown products like goat soaps, Bourbon Fig Jam, and honey sticks; visiting the Baby Barn to see cows waiting to give birth and petting baby piglets; checking out the arts and crafts competition; and of course, enjoying a funnel cake were the highlights of our day. My boys aren’t big on the rides at the Fair, so we just skipped that area, but we still had a fun-filled day.
We also visited Rutland Farms, which is located near Tifton, Georgia. In the past, we’ve taken our older boys there to pick strawberries. Of course, now our family grows them too, so it’s been a while since we’ve visited. I have to say, their Fall Festival that Saturday was more fun than my older boys thought it would be. They have animals like ostriches, peacocks, a tortoise, a huge pig, cows, and more. There was a pumpkin patch, which was perfect for taking pictures. They had games like skee ball, and a corn chunker, where you could shoot a corn cob at a target in the pond, and of course, a corn maze. A hayride and a barrel train added to the fun.
(My big boys are convinced that Perry is my favorite because I take more pictures of him, but they rarely let me take their pictures! Caleb was a good sport this weekend and posed with Perry a couple of times.)
(My big boys are convinced that Perry is my favorite because I take more pictures of him, but they rarely let me take their pictures! Caleb was a good sport this weekend and posed with Perry a couple of times.)
| We also attended the Georgia Sweet Potato Festival here in Ocilla! My big boys marched with the band in the parade while we watched and caught candy with Perry. He loved watching the motorcycles, old tractors, fire trucks, floats, horses, and of course, the band, all of which brought back memories of marching myself and watching the parade with my older boys when they were Perry's age. |  |
Fall in the South is elusive and short-lived, coming and going in spurts, but I encourage you to get out and enjoy the season with family and friends! Visit a local farm or winery and see what they grow and sell, or find a coffee shop or bakery that incorporates the tastes of Fall in their treats. Go enjoy a football game, even if you don’t care about the sport. Be sure to watch the band and cheerleaders, too; school spirit can be contagious! Take a camping trip to see the lovely leaves and enjoy cool mountain air. Whatever you do, savor the sights, sounds, and scents of Fall, but even more, take pleasure in the time you have with the people you care about most. Life’s too short not to pause and appreciate where you are and who you’re with.
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