Fall Happenings

If you know me very well, you know that Fall is my absolute FAVORITE time of year!  I love everything about it--the cooler temps, new wardrobes, bon fires, hayrides, hot chocolate, Halloween, the fair, the changing leaves, pumpkin carving and the anticipation of the upcoming Thanksgiving season.  It's simply the BEST.  Last year I didn't get to enjoy Fall quite the way I wanted to.  I was stuck inside a hospital room on the transplant floor at Vanderbilt, fighting a terrible rejection episode less than a month after my transplant.  I remember sitting in my hospital bed weeping, longing to feel the cool air on my skin and see the beautiful leaves changing.  I saw pictures of my friends taking their kids to the pumpkin patch and it made me angry that I wasn't able to do the same.  I felt cheated and at that moment I vowed to never take these seemingly "little" moments for granted.  I would've given anything to carve a pumpkin with Kyndall or help her choose the perfect Halloween costume.  Thankfully, I was released at the end of October and made it back to Jackson just in time to enjoy a few of these things!  

This year I was determined to soak up every moment of this most perfect season.  We have decorated our house for fall, made a trip to the pumpkin patch, carved pumpkins, enjoyed several bon fires, sipped on hot chocolate and  snacked on warm cookies, and spent as much time in the cool fall air as possible.  We are looking forward to Halloween as well as a trip to the North Florida Fair in the next two weeks!  We also have our yearly family pictures coming up, which is my all time favorite form of family torture. Always a good time.

Yesterday after church we made our annual trip to Green Acres Farm to pick out the perfect pumpkin....or, pumpkins since Kyndall absolutely NEEDED one of every shape, size and color.

Notice anything strange about this picture?  I'm not really sure what was going on but....WEIRD!

Last year.....

 This year

Last year

This year

2014

'

2015

Her perfect pumpkin!

Last year....

Now.....

Green Acres operates off the honor system and each family is responsible for keeping up with how much they owe and placing it in this mailbox as they leave.  I think this speaks volumes of the community that we live in and was a great teachable moment for Kyndall on the importance of honesty and integrity.

Love this comparison too!

Now.....

Then....

Somehow we came away with way more pumpkins that we intended

Kydall LOVES to decorate the house for Fall, and I've been forced to let go of my OCD/perfectionist tendencies and just let her enjoy it.  It kind of looks like Fall threw up in our house.

(Yes, those are leftover minion themed birthday balloons you see in the corner.  I live with a tiny hoarder who won't let me throw anything away.)

This was the only part of the house I was allowed to decorate, and that's only because she couldn't reach it

Huckabee the photobomber

Photobombing dog again

 One of my favorite decorations is this turkey that she (I) made when she was a little over a year old.  We made it with our Moms and More play group when we lived in Charleston and I still put it out every year.

This.  This......I just have to turn my head.  If I move it, she has a come apart.  She says it looks "just perfect".  So, with every fiber of my being I have resisted cleaning it up.

After dinner Daddy and Kyndall began carving the pumpkins.  She chose a Frozen themed carving kit and her first choice was Sven the raindeer.

This picture pretty much sums up how it all went down.  Kyndall stuffed her face with junk food while Matthew did all the work.

See Sven's face?

This past Saturday Kyndall cheered at her very last football game of this season.  Technically there is one more this coming Saturday but she is in a wedding so we will be out of town.  We took lots of pictures to commemorate her last game cheering for the Titans!

All decked out in her pink to support breast cancer awareness

I love these girls!  Such sweethearts!

With their sweet coach, Mrs. Crystal

Look at my girl gettin' down!

Meet Bennett the adorable, son of Susannah, future husband of Kyndall.  

Future in-laws

We carried on our tradition of getting Dippin' Dots at the pharmacy after the game.  Even though there won't be anymore football games, we might still have to do this on Saturday afternoons!

Things are picking up and our schedules are overflowing with fun fall activities!  When I look at my calendar for the months of October and November I have a slight panic attack wondering how we're going to squeeze it all in and keep it all straight.  I'm not sure how we got this busy but I am sure that I love it!  Sure beats last year!  

Here's a small sampling of all the fun things we have coming up before Thanksgiving, beginning this weekend when Kyndall is the flower girl in a wedding back home in Tallahassee....

3 trips to Tallahassee, 1 wedding, 2 visits to Vanderbilt, Halloween festivities, 1 trip to the North Florida Fair (my fav fall activity!!), 1 speaking engagement for Donate Life, 1 baby shower to host, 1 birthday party to attend, 1 kid-free dinner banquet, family Christmas card pictures, Kyndall's first piano recital, a dedication ceremony for my late Granddaddy in Two Egg, countless church events and commitments, a weekend visit from a hometown friend, and FINALLY, we wrap up the month of November with our very long awaited, much deserved trip to DISNEY!  On top of all these activities, we still have our regular schedule consisting of pre-school two days a week, three dance classes a week plus piano lessons.  It sounds exhausting and truly it is, but I honestly wouldn't have it any other way.  Life is way too short not to pack it full of fun!

Kyndall and I will head to Tallahassee on Thursday where she will be the flower girl for a lifelong friend of ours whom I used to babysit.  Suddenly I feel very old.  I can't wait to see how much fun she has being a part of such a special day.  She is SO excited!  I'll be back this time next week with plenty of pictures to share!  

Happy Fall, y'all!