Tanner Life

Fall

I absolutely love fall. Summer is fantastic and I love being home, vacations to the beach, lazy days in the pool with a book, flip flops and a good tan. None of that can top the warm fuzzies that fall gives me though!

I love the smells of fall. I pull out the apple and cinnamon candles, open the windows and smile. I enjoy the last few smells coming from the grill and leaves burning in people’s backyards. Ah, fall….

I love the sights of fall. I love the hay, corn, scarecrow and pumpkin displays in yards. I love the leaves when they turn bright shades of red, orange and yellow. (Shhh, when I say that it sends Andy into a tizzy because he’s the one who ends up raking them and we have soo many! The leaves from our entire cul de sac blow down our driveway and stack themselves waist deep a few times before it’s all said and done. I digress…..)




(Our front yard in 2005 I think? Grand Daddy's last birthday here with us)



I love the tastes of fall. I love to make pumpkin pie and apple tasting at school. I love that the mornings are cool enough for me to enjoy coffee again.

I love the events of fall. I look forward to arts & craft shows, college football season and the weather just right for me to play golf again.

I love school in the fall. I love getting to know my new little friends. I love the smell of a new box of crayons. I love our apple unit with poems, painting, crafts, tasting and graphing. I love when we explore pumpkins, roast pumpkin seeds, everyone wears orange, we have scarecrow day and visit our pumpkin patch.

I love when we get to camp in the fall. We head to the lake and get that perfect camping spot. We can set up the camper in no time, we have it down to a science. I love sitting in a chair and watching boat traffic, feeding the ducks, watching the sun come and go, taking a walk and saying hello to all the camping neighbors. I love the smell of a fire and roasting marshmallows, make mine just a smidge dark please! I love seeing the deer, watching squirrels and life slowing down for a few days. I love playing board games at night and spending time just us away from it all. I can't wait to take Cole camping. (I guess it wont be so quiet huh?!)


Don’t get me started on how much I love the fair? I have no idea what it is about it that gives me the warm fuzzies. I don’t get on the rides there anymore, but love to see the smiles and hear the squeals of those who do. I love to see all the twinkly lights at night. I love the greasy, fried, fattening food and it’s always such a hard choice on what to get! I love visiting the farm animals and even walking through the handmade trinkets. I like to see who grew the biggest pumpkin and what the winning flowers are. (and some years we make it to the state fair in Perry which is a huge fair on steroids, oh my I’m in hog heaven then!)

The mountains, we absolutely love the Smokey Mountains. Fall is the most wonderful time to get up to Pigeon Forge & Gatlinburg, TN. We usually make it sometime around my birthday weekend in September. We ride the chair lift, eat at our favorite places, walk down the main strip, go outlet shopping, maybe take a "short" scenic drive, eat Karmel Korn (yes I spelled it right), get taffy for taking home, visit the nature center for a walk in the woods or watching the movie out there, riding the tram to the Ski Lodge and maybe seeing the bears. Oh and eating at a pancake house or two. The only times I crave pancakes are when we're there and it's sort of "law" that you must consume pancakes while in the mountains. Mmmmm....... Perfection!!

(our annual picture in 2006,we get one made every year :)

I can’t wait to be the one taking pictures of a certain rolly polly baby by a big honkin’ pumpkin at the pumpkin patch. I’ve waited on that a very long time! There are so many firsts that I know Cole will never remember, but they do OUR hearts so much good, I can’t stand it! J

For so many years Halloween broke my heart and cute munchkins ringing our doorbell, dressed in their attire, would break my heart and make me cry. This year we’ll be spending Cole’s first Halloween at the Happiest Place on Earth. We’ll have our own cutie pa tootie dressed up and enjoying the lights of Main Street. We wont be handing out candy at our front door, but will be eating dinner at our very favorite restaurant in all the world, O’Hana! I can’t tell you how excited I am!!

Fall is the beginning of the Holiday season where we gather to give thanks with our family and friends, followed by Christmas and OH How I LOVE Christmas!

So as todays high only reached 71 here in HotLanta, the stores have their scarecrows out…. I smile, take a deep breathe and say “Welcome Fall! Welcome my absolute favorite season, it’s good to see you!”