Savoring the joys of fall

I love this time of year. I have often rushed past this late fall season straight into cozy Christmas season, but this year, I find myself wanting to linger a bit. So the cheery orange pumpkins are still on display, the leaf craft, where we pressed freshly collected leaves between wax paper, hangs in the window, catching the light. I am sprinkling in a bit of Christmas music, because that makes it's way into our life year-round, to some degree. I commented to a friend the other day how my ability to truly enjoy the season at hand, rather than rushing to the next, is heavily correlated to my contentment with my current life.* In years past, when I longed for babies, or a move, or different circumstances, I found solace in Christmas music and hope in the prospect of the future. I still have hope for the future of course, and whatever the Lord has in store for me and my family, but I'm thankful that this is a period of my life where I am quite content. And so linger I shall, knowing Christmastime is coming. And oh, is it worth celebrating!

Whether you are a Christmas tree on display on November first sort of person, or you wait until December, or somewhere in between, there is joy and wonder in these late fall days.

Lovely fall things we've been enjoying, as of late

Afternoon hikes and play at our local arboretum. We've enjoyed free play, as well as a lengthly hike and scavenger hunt with friends who also homeschool. We've visited the playground, hunted for "signs of fall," and noticed the subtle shift of the seasons.

Cooper spent a lot of time in our backyard at his work table making juice from leftover green tomatoes. Meanwhile, Finn is having a rather extended cape phase.

On one particular fall day, friends came over, and four very busy boys dug an old tire out of the woods that was mostly buried in the dirt in the woods. They emerged triumphant– and that tire has fueled hours of play ever since. My friend Kathleen brought over soup for us (corn chowder!) and we had tea and sourdough yogurt snacking cake, and actually did some knitting while the boys were busy with The Great Tire Excavation. And then, before they headed home, we rolled sheets of beeswax to make beeswax taper candles, which is something I remember doing as a kid. It's a short craft (I bought this kit), suitable for the ages of all our kids, and it produces something useful! We have been burning our candles during dinner or during fika and it feels very special.

On another day, we met friends at a different park for hours of outdoor play and a picnic together. The way the sunlight beamed through the gold leaves and the crispness of the air, the boys' pink cheeks as they run around in sweatshirts – I love it so much. And there were more fall play dates outside – some where I never took a photo and some where I took so many photos.

Other things bringing me joy lately:

• adding my homemade granola back into my kitchen rotation. I actually can't believe that I posted that recipe more than ten years ago
• burning the beeswax candles we rolled
• trying out a few new stir fry recipes
• Knitting-wise, I finished a pair of socks, as well as a few headbands for the boys. I'm still chipping away at my yellow sweater (it's beautiful, but it's the sweater that never ends). Eager for and very excited about new upcoming projects!
• ordering from Seven Sons (so exciting to try meat from a semi-local regenerative farm)
• pulling out a beautiful quilted runner that my late mother-in-law, Karen made
• Burnt orange and gold and bright red leaves, around town
• Finishing up a crocheted pumpkin I started a year (or two?) ago, back when I was brand new to crochet
• casting on a pair of cheery gift knit socks as my new portable project
• Arlo's smiles for his daddy
• Cooper's elaborate tile patterns. Sometimes if we're needing extra motivation during school, I'll hand him a shape piece after each reading word and he gets to make whatever pattern he wants as we work our way through our phonics lesson. Win-win!
• a fresh duvet cover for our bed. We used a very special quilt my mom made for us over the warmer months and now I'm reaching for a duvet. The linen cover we have was beginning to be threadbare in some spots. I opted for crisp organic cotton this time!
• making sourdough donuts (first time frying donuts!) in tallow. They were SO good. I used this recipe when we had some friends over, and we unanimously agreed that the glazed ones were the best.
• custom seasonal coloring books that my friend printed for the boys– hours of entertainment as they're working their way through

I want to be vocal about the beauty and the joys I find around me – this time of year, or any other time. Thank you, God, for the gift of sunny fall days, friendships, a cozy home, good food, the medicine of little daily graces, and the most wonderful gift of your Son, Jesus. An abundance, indeed.