Fall time

It's a weird sensation knowing that you are moving and it seems like every event becomes "this is the last..."  which is good in the fact that it helps you to appreciate everything even more but hard in the fact that it makes the sadness of  moving last a whole year.  We are getting excited to move on with our lives and finally be done with the student phase but it has been a wonderful phase and all we have ever known in our 10 years of marriage.  Anyway, knowing that this would be our last Fall in Omaha, we wanted to really take advantage of it.  There is a place out here called Valla's Pumpkin Patch and it seriously is the Disneyland of pumpkin patches.  You could spend all day there and still not see everything.  It also is a little pricey (at least on a student budget with 4 kids) but luckily, they had a homeschool day so we took advantage of the discount and went and had SUCH a wonderful time.  We stayed till dark and had so much fun.  There are days where life just feels perfect and that was one of those days for me.  The smells of Fall are magical to me and this whole day was especially magical.  I think I had more fun than the kids.  

The kids loved jumping on these HUGE jumping...things.  I don't even know what they are called but they loved them.  

Jarom loved playing in the corn...and eating it too.  We were finding corn EVERYWHERE when we got home. 

We were having so much fun, I really didn't take that many pictures but there was a dog show, pig races, train rides, go cart rides and campfires with s'mores and much more.  SO much fun!

We live right next to the botanical gardens and anyone who lives in Village Green gets free entrance so we have really tried to take advantage of that and have enjoyed the gardens so much with each season, except for mosquito season.  That we don't love so much.  You seriously have to just run through patches of mosquito's chasing you.  I hate mosquito's.  Anyway, we love the gardens.

Another favorite of Fall time is apple canning season.  I can't even remember where we got these apples but I do remember the wonderful fall smell that was in my kitchen while Ammon and I canned them together and listened to Prairie Home Companion one Saturday evening.  Another one of those perfect days.

One of our VERY favorite traditions is making caramel apples with the Calls.  We have done this every year together and it is the best.  We get all sorts of yummy toppings and the kids have fun decorating with all the ooey goodness.  My favorite mix is caramel apple dipped in white chocolate and dusted in cinnamon and sugar.   Wow, typing that out makes me realize the crazy amount of sugar that is, but seriously try it.  It's amazing!
What are we going to do without the Calls?  Luckily they are moving to Cedar City, which is only 2 1/2 hours away from where we are moving so I see a lot of weekend trips happening. Especially at Fall time :)

And what is Fall time without raking the leaves and jumping in the pile?

We got a text one night asking if we wanted to play some night games.  SO FUN!  I Love, love LOVE living in Village Green.  So many fun friends and all within range of baby monitors.  It was a great game of steel the flag.

Halloween time is so fun with Ammons shaved head.  There are so many costume possibilities with a shaved head.  This was a fun one but FREEZING for me.  I don't know what I was thinking because it was seriously SO cold that night but it was fun walking around together.  Ammon had the perfect Gru voice that he trick-or-treated with.  I was getting such a kick out if.  I actually had to color my hair red for this costume.  I dyed my hair dark with a temporary wash, back in June.  It was only suppose to last a month and here it is almost a year later and my hair is still dark. :( Anyway, back to our costumes....

Addie didn't decide until about 10 minutes before leaving for trick-or-treating that she wanted to be part of our "Despicable" family.  I had tried to get her to join us SO many times but she didn't want to be Margo so she was going to be a Cheerleader.  I asked and asked and asked if she was sure and she said she was.  Then 10 minutes before we are leaving, she changes her mind and it was a total scramble trying to find stuff that would work.  Grrrrr.  Well it all worked out great and I'm glad she joined us.

Edith

Gru and Minion #1

Minion #2

I love getting out our Tom Turkey bird at the beginning of November and seeing his tail fill up every night as we write things we are grateful for.  This has become a favorite tradition because I love to see the things my kids think of.  The rule is there can't be any repeats.  They get pretty creative and pretty sweet.

And it was our last year hosting Thanksgiving in our little house with our wonderful friends.  So much yummy food and such great company.  I love Fall time

And I'm very thankful for pie :)