cool weather, down comforter, scarves

These are the things bringing me joy the past few days. I think our fall weather has finally arrived. Last week we were still getting into the 90's and it wasn't feeling very fall-ish. But I'm in full fall mood swing and baking everything pumpkin that comes my way.

Last night I made a pumpkin pie with ice cream, it is very delicious. I've also enjoyed many pumpkin cookies, pumpkin coffees, and soon pumpkin muffins. The thing I learned this weekend about cooking with pie pumpkins is this:

If I were on iron chef and the ingredient was pie pumpkin I would loose because it would take me the entire time to cut the darn things open and pick up the seeds off the kitchen floor.

Enough said. My favorite season has arrived in AZ!

precious fall family time

We were able to spend some time with our family in Jamestown, ND and Brainerd, MN. We loved being able to be back to experience some more fall weather in the north. We had a blast. We went to a corn maze and pumpkin patch, watched hannah try her hand in pumpkin exploring, helped make kneophla soup, ate some really great food, shared stories and had the BEST night sleep on our entire trip all while we were in ND.

gabe and hannah
Jade, Josh, and Hannah in the corn maze
Kathy, Jim, and Gabe in the corn maze
(before we got lost and had gabe cheat so we could figure it out)
Hannah digging in, with some help from dad
Getting ready to walk!

In MN we went to the park, walked through fallen leaves, played many board games, had a wonderful family dinner, stayed up late talking, and celebrating Ryan and Jackie's marriage. It is always fun to be around family and play with all the girls.

The five girls loving the merry-go-round

Mari who would get the biggest smile going down this slide
I LOVE this fall picture!

Ryan and Jackie had a beautiful wedding. It was a sun shiny day with a little breeze, which made for some gorgeous pictures. We got to see a lot of people we haven't seen in awhile and of course danced the night away. (We were both in the wedding so weren't able to get many pictures).

The happy couple
Jackie and the girls
Ryan and Jewel

Bestest Friend in the whole darn world

I got a sweet surprise in the mail today. It was perfect after me dreaming about fall in the northern states. Andrea and Jeremy (the cutest newlyweds) went on a fall hike last weekend and she collected these beautiful fall leaves and sent them to me in the mail! I got them today with a sweet note from her. They even have the scent of fall! I think i'm going to press them a little longer and then frame them in one of those glass frames where pictures look like they float. That way I'll have a little Duluth fall all year round. It's one of the hardest things, being away from those you love dearly. Thank you andrea, you are the dearest friend! Love and miss you muchos...

fab fall

Although az seems to be getting the memo slowly about what season it is - fall, i'm missing it badly. Thankfully through wedventures I'll get to experience "northern" falls more than i usually do. But in attempt to live in fall right now i'm making a list (in no order) of all my old time favorite things about fall, my favorite season:

• pumpkin spice lattes
  
• pumpkin muffins
  
• well anything pumpkin - carving them, the scent of them, decorating with them
• the leaves changing and falling
• the crisp cool, fresh air
• light jackets
• enjoying hot coffee
• picking apples, making apple sauce
• the colors of the season
• heavier blankets on your bed
• warm apple cider
• crunching on leaves as you walk
• jumping in leaves
  
• Watching leaves decompose
• making and eating soup
  
• and newly added: gabe and my anniversary :)

What are your favorite things?