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it's going to take you about 10 seconds of looking at these pictures to know why i absolutely l.o.v.e. this time of year

i've said before that i feel blessed to live in a place where we experience all the seasons

each one gives my heart reason to flutter

summer is sweet 'cause it is lazy and we run around in flip flops and let the house fall apart while we load the car up for endless trips to the pool

winter has the whole Christmas thing going for it ;)

spring is renewing, refreshing

but fall.......ah, fall is home

fall is heading back to school and having a routine

football games under cozy blankets

leaves twirling to the ground and crunching underfoot

fall is when this girl made me a momma...

and when this one gave us her first true giggle...

fall is staying in jammies until after noon

and wearing favorite sweaters and the return of slippers

fall is a blanket of gold in our yard

and framing sweet little faces in adorable hats

fall is cherry red cheeks

and chilly noses

apple orchards, pumpkin patches and cider by the gallons

fall is "rake it up one more time, momma!", then heading inside for snuggles under an afghan made by my great-grandma

fall is digging out toys from the back of the closet that have been hiding since last spring, when we stashed them away and flew pell mell outside into warm weather, never looking back

fall is how a cold pumpkin feels when you get brave enough to sneak your fingers out of your sleeves

fall smells like home, tastes like home, feels like home

its slowing down and cuddling up

it is closing the windows and turning the oven back on

and getting ready to be....home

call me crazy - i know that bad roads and below zero temperatures are on the way

but i'm oh so happy.

pretty soon, the leaves will stop dropping

the trees will be bare

the snow will arrive

and we'll be all snuggled up under one roof

i'm looking forward to it.

thank you, Lord, for these yummy days at home