The Fall brings a wonderful mood.

There are so many events planned for our family at the beginning of Fall!  Birthdays, Holiday get togethers and community activities.  We recently went to Bobby's cousin's wedding and had a lot of fun taking pictures at the photo station set-up that they had.  I loved the addition of all the different dress up items the photographer provided.  I think a photobooth is such a great touch when it comes to weddings.  We had one at our wedding but it was a more traditional photobooth.  Guest were able to take pictures and they would get a sleeve to keep and one to leave for us! The company compiled all these pictures and placed them in a Keep Sake Congratulatory book.  Guests were also able to write out little messages of congrats or what have you near their pictures.  We actually just looked through the other day and it was nice to read he sweet comments our Family and Friends left for us.  I can't wait to show our girls one day.

The Thanksgiving Holiday is always spent at my great Aunt Tuttie's house.  Her home holds so many good memories of my childhood! (I'll save those in another post!) Some of the highlights: Her beautiful china, rice salad and her mashed potatoes!  My sisters and I always go after the bowl of black olives left on the table.  We can't resist putting them on our fingers and eating them off.  Funny, because now our girls do the same thing! So much to be thankful for on this special day reserved to give thanks to God and reflect on all the many Blessings this life has brought me.  But it is my Nina Tuttie that I am most thankful to have in my life.  Our visits with each other are not as often as either of us would like, but I think about her daily.  My faith, character and tolerance for others was shaped by this woman. Thank you!

A couple of other things I am giving thanks for:

 My sweet little Juliann who came into my life this year.  She is the most precious and well behaved baby I have ever experienced!  She is so patient and happy.  Thank you for putting a smile on my face each and every day!

My siblings (two are missing) who always give me the biggest and funniest memories every time we come together. Which is often (also thankful for that!).

 My parents for being loving grandparents to my girls and for helping me build the life that surrounds myself with family.

 My sisters, thank you for your honesty when I need it the most and the friendship that I hope everyone in this world can experience.  I don't know what my life would look like without the two of you in it and I don't want to know!

To my husband and two baby girls, you have given me a life that I never thought I was worthy enough to have.  You have given me days filled with love.  Thank you for always loving me and giving me chances to be a better mother and wife. You three are my hope and future.

 

The fall to me is about getting under blankets and cuddling with family and enjoying the warm smells that fill the air.  The warm apple cider (with rum, thanks sis!), the hot apple pie and sizzling turkey.  I wish fall was longer than just three months but I cherish these days.

Goodbye October (Best month of the year)

October signals the start of the Holiday season for me.  Halloween has always been such a grand gesture in my house growing up as a kid.  My parents would take the day off and we would spend the day decorating the house and baking cookies.  We would carve the pumpkins and wait for the trick or treaters to come.

This Halloween, we took the girls to my mom's of course.  We dressed Isabella and my niece Riley in their costumes (A Candy Corn Witch and a Vampire Batch Witch) and we prepared to take them out.  Little Ju Ju (Black Cat) stayed behind to nap.  As we were walking the streets in search of the candy, i could smell the candles in the jack-o-lanterns and a swarm of memories came back.

Almost every house in our neighborhood would pass out candy.  The parents would open their garage doors and sit out in lawn chairs and pass out the candy.  It looked like a giant block party!  This year was not the same.  1 out of 3 houses passed out candy!  It was not the Halloween Trick or Treating experience that i had as a kid.  I'll give the neighborhood one more year, then we might just have to give our neighborhood a go. 

Isabella did so well at trick or treating, making sure to say the magic words ( no not please): "Trick or Treat" then-"Thank you, Happy Halloween!!!"  Did you notice this year that most kids are mute when you open the door? They just stick out their bag and wait for the candy.  Bobby made the kids say Trick or Treat before handing them candy.  I was shocked the littles all went mute!

I'll post some pictures of the night later, i wanted to hurry up and get this post up before i had to edit it to say Goodbye October, and November and Decemeber!