Thursday Thirteen - Fall

Sunday was the first official day of fall - FINALLY! This is by far my favorite time of the year, and as much as Ohio weather drives me nuts, I'm really happy to be in a place that has a definite change for each season. Fall rocks, and here's why:

1. The smells - There is something about the smell of leaves or when someone in the neighborhood has lit that first fire of the season that just takes me to a very happy place.
2. Leaves - I think this is the most visually stunning season of the year. We don't get the kind of colors that you see in New England or points a little further north, but we have enough wooded areas around us that it really does look like the trees are on fire. It's amazing.
3. Raking - Natually...because raking leads to jumping....which leads to raking....which leads to jumping....
4. Jackets - I love the feeling of jackets and long sleeve t-shirts. It's just cozy.
5. Pumpkin flavored food - I could eat pumpkin pie and pumpkin muffins until I was blue in the face. Yum. Yum. YUM!
6. Halloween - I could do without the pesky little gaggle of preteen "public school students", but I will never get my fill of fairies and super-heroes. Oh yeah, and candy.
7. Thanksgiving - It's quite possibly one of the most stressful times of the year, but the food is good and getting together with family is awesome. And we have a tablecloth that we get out every year and draw on and write our names. It's pretty cool.
8. Temperature Drop - This kind of goes along with jackets, but I just love it when the temperature gets cooler. Cool enough that you can walk outside without melting, but not cold enough to need a coat and gloves.
9. Hot Chocolate - I originally had typed football, and then quickly deleted it because a) I don't care about football and b) when I think of football, I think of the AWESOME hot chocolate with Peppermint Schnapps that my mom's friend used to bring to games when I was in high school. Don't worry, it was just enough to flavor it...she wasn't promoting teen drinking. But to this day, I don't like hot chocolate unless it has a mint flavor to it. Yum.
10. Baking - I'm not a big baker, but there's something about baking in the fall that makes me tend to do it more. Jake (usually) likes to help me and it makes the house smell great....when I haven't messed up the recipe.
11. Apple Orchard/Pumpkin Patch - A yearly visit to one or both of these has become a tradition and I really look forward to it this year!
12. School/Activities - The kids are back in school, programs at the church start back up, and BOWLING starts again. Ah....yes.
13. TV - Summer TV is usually pretty bad. And I am so, so, SO happy that the fall season started this week. Just give me my remote, some minty hot chocolate and a pumpkin muffin...I'm in heaven.

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