🍂 October 🍂

October is here.  This is the month of colored leaves, fallen leaves, time to blow leaves ... you get the picture!  It's the beautiful month of orange, browns and flannels and layers!  It seemed like the first day of autumn arrived and so did the cooler weather.  We are now turning the fire place on in the mornings and eve.  The floor heat is on and feels amazing to our feet!  I added thicker blankets to the littles beds.  The annual flowers got pulled out of the flower beds and I brought some plants inside that I hope to keep over the cold month!  Butter crunch lettuce, red lettuce and romaine are still growing in the garden.  I have a few pickles that we picked off of our fall plants!  There are no more tomatoes but the peppers are still growing!  It won't be long before the first frost gets these tender plants and then we will have to say goodbye to gardening during the cold months.

On October 1, the kids and I named a few fun things that we like to usually do in October.  We mentioned going to the cabin because it's now the beginning days of hunting season!  I want to visit a pumpkin patch!  Markets are great in the fall!  Arise Collective is coming back to Honeybrook in a few weeks and we are gearing up for that!  We went to the parade and then to the fair the next night!  October will be the month to can grape juice, vegetable soup and eat squash soup as often as our hearts desire!  

We love hot apple cider in the fall and we love it with a splash of heavy cream and some caramel syrup mixed into!  It's the best that way!!!

Matthew is finishing up his last golf season for high school and they finished their last seasonal match well!  The top for guys are moving on to League.

Couch Clair does such an amazing job with kids and the game of golf!  Thank you Clair!

Darlene invited me over to sit by the side of their pool on last warm day and it felt so good!  The autumn sun is still warm but the pool water was freezing!  As I was leaving, she gave me a muffin and it was delicious!  I got the recipe from her and have made more than once already!  They are just so good!

Some of the big boys in my extended family went on a hunting trip.  Those back home, invited us along to a game of bowling and then soft pretzels from Hay Loft!  The kids loved it! 

  

Mike came over from work the other day and said he bought something for Austin!  He was so excited to have his very first full set of baseball cards!  Austin and his cousins were all into these when the last of ball season rolled around because when we were out in town watching a game, the boys would return any foul ball or home run ball back to the score board box.  In exchange, they would reward the boys with baseball cards!

Austin just could barely believe his eyes when he saw that huge box of cards for him!  He's got such a thoughtful dad!!!

Garden foods are dwindling down but I am loving the lettuce that's still out there!!!!

Our school sale was such a fun day for our family!  The sunrise was gorgeous!  Matthew ran the 5K again with some guys from school!  The littles got face paints, played games and we bought breakfast, lunch and a few things at the auction!  We love Linville Hill!!!!!

I was in charge of the smoothie stand again and it went well.  We were all cleaned up by 1:30!  Then Mike and I went to Jared and Kaylene's wedding!  What a fun day!

We had our first pumpkin pie for the season!  So, so good!

New Holland Parade is always fun for us!  Mike was out of town this night but me and the littles enjoyed it!  Then we had cousins join our area as the parade marched by us!

I just finished this amazing book and I really can't imagine ever going through something like this!  We prayed for these missionaries as they were held captive.  I listened to their testimonies.  Now I read the book and it's an incredible story of how God moved and protected these people!  Wow!  To God be the glory!

Then the next night, we went back to the fair and Mike was back home and we had a good time!  The fair is a place for the kids to play a few games, we eat good fattening food and this time we watched the tug a war!

We love Skips fries!

And snow cones and waffles and ice cream.

Austin bought his own necklace and he loves it!

Dad's money is being spent.  😘

And here's the first Saturday morning in October with the fireplace turned on and the pumpkin pancakes are almost ready to eat!  What a great season!

I am finally in the New Testament!!!!  Here's the Bible reading list for October!

Hurricane Ian made a mess in Florida and we are getting lots of rain from it!  We are so blessed to not have any storm damage and may God help those in need!  I went to Spring Garden's Bible Study event today and listened to a testimony of a 87 year old lady that survive the World War 11 and shared her story of being in Germany and then America during the war.  Afterwards, Lena and I (with Bryce and Zayla) went to Houston Cafe for some warm autumn soup and lattes!  I grabbed some groceries and then put laundry away before heading to Ashlyn's volleyball game.  There's much to do but we are overcoming an annoying cough and in good health!  There's so much to be thankful for!

This is going to be a fun, busy month!  Let all the fall festivity's begin!