Fall ~ life and life lessons learned

Fall is on its way out and winter is rapidly approaching... the air is a bit cooler on a consistent basis and the trees are almost bare with only a few leaves clinging for dear life. The bushes below (what are they called dad?) frame the front entrance and combined with the chill I dare say, "It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas", at least to this Texas chick. :) Before we kiss goodbye the gorgeous colors and weather all together and cozy up by the fire as we head into winter... one last look at our fall and what we've been up to.

Aside from livin' & lovin' :)... and playing/watching sports (Mya's gymnastics... We've been lovin them Yankees and what is quickly turning into a beautiful tradition of food and fun at our place every monday night for football!!)

We've been partying! We celebrated Audrey's 3rd birthday (see previous post) and will celebrate Mya's 5th (wow!) in a couple weeks.

We attended a Hoe down this past Saturday, hosted by our generous friends the Tigges family - so fun!

There was square dancing, good food, hot chocolate on this chilly winter evening.

This kids had fun playing with their friends and were thrilled to discover that their 3 favorite ammenities ~

Balloon making

Dancing

and face painting!

Emily is one of the girls favorite babysitters "in the whole wide world!!!" and did a great job face painting. Having little experience in face painting she was a bit nervous... can you tell?? ;)

Mya was thrilled to be asked to dance by this young fellow, a.k.a "Skeeter" (one of the main characters from the VBS plays) and in mya's opinion is equal to Brad Pitt in star power. :)

As the evening came to a close, everyone settled down on the bails of hay to watch the famous Charlie Brown movie.

But no party on a chilly October evening would be complete without a bonfire and smores...





the kids and I grabbed a couple before we headed home, cuz you know I wanted the kids on a sugar-high just in time for bedtime. ;)

We made the haul out to Cox farms and it was just as fun as we remembered! Actually, it was better because it wasn't so cold, I wasn't freezing, and I was trying to tend to an infant.

Mya, always the comedian...

Slides were as high as ever! Woohoo!!

animals as cute (and smelly!) as ever...

And pumpkins were bigger than ever!!

where's Audrey???

Everyone is allowed to take 1 pumpkin home from the patch. We decided to have a friend over and turn them into colorful sparkly masterpieces!

On sunny days, like today for instance, the park seemed to be shouting our names and beckoning us to come and play - so we did. I'm usually so busy chasing the kids around or pushing swings that I forget to snap a photo, but mya wanted me to take a picture of her on this... :) I take it she felt a bit faster and higher, when in reality she was clinging for dear life going a snails pace - too cute! And I do have a confession, I couldn't resist testing this baby out myself - heehee

We are soaking up every last "warm" sunny day left before the freeze and snow come...








"There is a time foreverything and season for every activity under heaven: ... a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance..." ~Ecc 1:1,4

When we moved last fall I cried, weeped the night we moved into our little apartment and wondered if I would be packing up to move again in 3 short months, wondered if I would develop friendships like the ones I had said goodbye to, wondered if we would find our "family" (church family) and wondered if we would survive Nate's final year of school! Although, the Lord continues to teach and grow me, he has replaced our weeping with laughing and dancing! I'm always amazed when I think back to the year before and see where I have been and what God has done... this year is no different. God is good. He given us all and more that we lacked/missed last fall. God is gracious. He was patient with me and pushed/prodded me along like a little child when I was "fussy". He has given us joy among the "thorns" and "toil". God is GREAT! We revere Him, giving Him all glory and honor and praise!!!!!!! Which prompts me to share the next verse~

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know tht there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil - this is the gift of God. I know that everthing God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him. Ecc 3:10-14