Delicious Autumn

"Delicious autumn!  My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking successive autumns." - George Eliot

How true it is, the way autumn seeps into my very bones and brings a comfortable, cozy feeling that I can not get enough of.  It's been a beautiful fall, and we have checked many a fall festivity off our list.  I think this fall has been a little extra sweet thanks to living so close to our families and getting to experience it all with them by our sides.

We spent an evening at the bustling Black Island Farm, complete with giant hay bale slides, "train" rides, and the corn maze.  We made the trip with almost the entire Short/Hansen clan, and the little girls loved every minute with their cousins.  Stella and Eliza adore all of Paul's grand kids, and I feel like it's safe to say that the feeling is mutual.  I often don't see them for a couple of hours when everyone gets together and they get to follow the older girls around.  Fun was had by all, and by the time we were ready to hop on the hayride and pick our pumpkins it was dark and the line was over a half hour long.  Instead we opted to pick our pumpkins from the giant pile near the entrance and go get pizza.  We ended up at a small, local pizza parlor; and I am sure they are still wondering what hit them. Eleven adults and twelve kids later, we had consumed way too much pizza and had left their cute little restaurant in shambles.

Thanks to hunting season, Mr. Palmer was unable to join us for our fun day at the farm.  Instead he was searching for Bambi with his family, something he looks forward to all year long.  I feel okay about it since for him "hunting season" really only lasts for a couple of weekends.  He isn't off scouting dear every weekend, or going on multiple hunts per year, so I can certainly deal with this hobby.  This year was even more exciting as somehow a plan was conceived that involved me waking up at 4:00 am, donning an orange vest, and joining my boyfriend on the mountain for a day of fun.  I will admit, I wasn't the most excited about this little adventure, but it ended up being a pretty great day.  Granted I got to hang out with my cute husband and no animals were harmed in the process, so there really wasn't much to complain about.  In fact, I might even do it again next year. 

Because a family visit to the local pumpkin patch is always at the very top of my fall bucket list, we decided to hijack Miss Stella's very first field trip and head to Tubb's Berry Farm with six four year-olds.  It was a fun day watching Stella interact with her beloved teacher and friends, and Eliza could not have been more excited about going to "school" for a day.  I still can't believe this little girl of mine is old enough for field trips and class photos, but she is loving every single minute of growing up which means I can't help but love most of it, too.

And, of course, autumn just wouldn't be autumn without a little Halloween fun.  We certainly enjoyed lots of it this year, between ward parties, school parties, friend parties, work parties, and Halloween themed mutual nights.  Not to mention dance classes full of witches, mermaids, and super heroes.  Halloween night was pretty simple with pumpkin shaped pizza, an hour spent knocking on neighbors doors (90% of whom didn't answer), and a little It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.  We are still making our way through all of the sugar that was gathered throughout the month, and our costumes continue to be a staple in our wardrobe.

Whether we were visiting Sun Valley, Cache Valley, or Plain City, Utah; autumn and it's beauty did not disappoint this year.  I want to believe we still have a few weeks left, but with daylight savings time and the first snowfall in the forecast tomorrow, I am afraid our days are numbered.  Everything about fall is lovely, but I think the very best part is knowing that it will come again next year as a beautiful reprieve from the sweltering summer and the perfect buffer to the long, cold winter that follows.