Loving the Fall . . . Hating its Runner-UP

This time of year creates a dynamic within most people that is so mixed it's crazy! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the fall season!!! I totally, completely love the colorful leaves that become prominent on our trees, the pumpkins and hay bales that begin to appear on porches and in front yards, and the thought of hot apple cider! For some reason Fall has such a soothing quality to it, at least for me. I was reminiscing the other day about taking my Kindergarteners on a field trip to the pumpkin patch during my student teaching experience! I wish I was with the new group this year to share in their delight! On the other hand though, with the Fall comes quite a bit of work, as well as changing attitudes due to the decreased length of day. The mornings stay darker longer and the nights get darker quicker. With all the outside clean up work that seems to pile up and the shorter days, the moods seem to noticably "fall" (excuse the pun haha). I can appreciate the Winter season and Christmas cheer, and I am very excited for family members and friends who have expanded their families! There really is something about a baby's First Christmas! It's just that the crisp, Fall weather doesn't seem to last long enough!! Outdoor football games, soccer games, hay rides, bonfires!!! I love the cool nights when you can get away with wearing a hoodie and flip flops! This is also a great time of year to go four-wheeling! I have so much fun going through the wooded trails when it's not so overwhelmingly HOT and STICKY!!

This time of year it is also a hard one though in the fact that it leaves us missing special friends and family members who once shared in these experiences with us. The loss of Mark has been a hard one for both Kevin and I to take. Camping and four-wheeling loses a bit of its splendor with his absence (and the subsequent absence of Kate and Lexie). This is not the first loss either of us has endured though, and with the continuation of life comes its deterioration as well. I guess this fact is one that also brings hope to humanity. The Fall season marks the beginning of deterioration. It provides the transition toward the Winter weather which then totally wipes out our beautiful, colorful flowers. The hope lies in the fact that we all know Spring will be here eventually to renew the color and to reverse the cycle afore mentioned.

I, for one, will attempt to maintain my optimism and hope. I will do my best to enjoy every little bit of the Fall weather, as well as the trailing Winter season. I know that it won't be long before I'm walking around my yard checking for buds in my flower beds! That excitement will have to hold me over through the harsh winter winds. I just hope that my family and friends will try to focus on the high points of each season, instead of allowing themselves to be depressed by the deterioration of life and lack of light.