Hello Fall.

So Fall has officially and figuratively arrived! We had about two weeks in the middle of September where I really thought Summer was going to make a comeback, but alas...Fall has won over. It's been about average high of 50 degrees and raining constantly. I think we've had an inch and a half of rain in the month of October (yes in the last 6-8 days). I seriously considered building an Ark! And did I hear the S word bantered around this morning on the news?!?! If the sun hadn't come out yesterday I almost thought I forgot what it looked like!


I do enjoy the changing of the seasons, but it would be nice if they changed gradually. Going from a high of 75 to a high of 47 over night is not gradual!! It also doesn't help that all my maternity cloths are made for summer and half my shirts no long fit over my belly (uh, how embarrassing is it to be visiting with the Executive Vice President and realize afterwards that your belly was hanging out!!) Luckily, I've become a wardrobe ninja and can fix most major problems with the grace and agility of a Panda. *this joke would only be funny if you've seen Kungfu Panda a zillion times like I have*


So, now that it's Fall, what is on the docket for us? I'm so glad you asked!!

• The Prince's birthday! I absolutely love planning parties. I can't wait until the Husband and I are both working and we can afford to A) own our own house and B) have more parties! For my very favorite soon to be three year old we are planning a Spiderman party. I figure it will be easy to find spiderweb decorations so close to Halloween and of course the little man loves all superheros, we just happen to have the Spiderman movie for him to watch over and over and over. I also plan to create a cake with Spiderman walking up a building...yeah, we'll see how it works out. My backup is to have cupcakes!


• Halloween! I really enjoy this holiday. Mostly because I really enjoy candy, and it tastes even better when it's given to my adorable child. We usually go out with a good friend of mine and her son (who's the same age as the Prince) and last year we had a ball! The boys loved the idea of getting toys and candy and my friend and I took turns snapping photos and giggling at our handsome terrors.


• FOOTBALL! I love watching football and now that my Vikings are 4-0 it's even more fun to watch them. I'm officially a fan of Favre, but I attribute a lot of that to the fact that Minnesota hasn't has a decent quarterback in many years. He may be "over the hill", but age is truly a frame of mind. We'll take him!


• Baking and enjoying the smells of Fall! I really enjoy baking and cooking for my family. I have yet to find a kitchen big enough for my taste, but hopefully someday I can design my own. Right now I make due with what I have. I love making apple crisp, dumpling soup, stews, and cookies (among other things). I'm willing to try any new recipe that comes my way. I really enjoy the smell of things cooking and baking...it's better than any candle Glade can come up with! I remember my mom always used to bake late at night (now I know it's because you have WAY more free time once the kids go to bed!!) and every once in awhile I would drift off to sleep with the smell of banana bread or pumpkin pie wafting through our house. To me, baking just smells like home.


• Thanksgiving. This holiday combines my love for cooking and eating. Plus, there's an added bonus of friends and family in the house! I love to entertain for my family, however, this year I may have to take a rain check because of...


• The impending birth of our second child!! This is really the best of the best of Fall for me. I'm so excited to have the holidays off this year and it will be a lot of fun to get to know the little girl inside me during the "Most Wonderful Time of the Year"!

Look at this belly! I still have two months left!

So these are my favorite things about fall. I have to say my favorite thing about any season is sharing it with my friends, husband and kids. It's always more fun to take a walk with someone while entrenched in good converstaion or to enjoy a park through the eyes of a three year old. Whatever you do this season, take time to really connect with the people around you and make sure that you enjoy yourself too!