fabulous fall fun!

It's finally fall! And even though the temperature here in Texas is in the upper 80's this week, signs of fall are all around us. This weekend I put up a few fall decorations in the house and I love how just a few small items can get me excited about the change of seasons. Fall is my favorite season of all. I love the bright colors of the leaves, the crispness of the morning air, and of course, football! Fall means drinking chai tea or hot chocolate for breakfast, soup in the crockpot, and snuggling up in a blanket each evening. It also gives me a moment to take a breath and recognize the beauty that God has put around us. To remember how He gives us a few months of beautiful, perfectly cool days between the heat of summer and the cold of winter.

It really felt like fall yesterday when I went to the the Arboretum with Jennifer, Jana, and their kids. Wow, that place is gorgeous! It was a sweet time with wonderful friends!

One of our goals was to get some good pictures of our kids while at the Arboretum. This can prove difficult even with extra help! Here's the best we got!

sweet friends: Gracie, Addie, and Alexandra
These girls have been in Weekday School, dance, and church together since last fall.
I'm so thankful for these friends for Addie. (and for their parents who have become wonderful friends of ours!)

Gracie and Addie atop a pile of pumpkins
(this photo was quickly followed by the Great Pumpkin Avalanche of '09)

All three girls wanted their faces painted as butterflies, pink and purple of course!
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The big girls get the most screen time but look at these precious little siblings!

Gracie's little brother Preston, who was so happy to be free to crawl all over the place

Alexandra's mini me-little Avery

of course the little siblings are becoming good friends too!

It's no surprise that Addie had no trouble posing for her share of pictures.

Doak was intrigued by the Indian corn and really wanted to take a bite.
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The petting zoo was a big hit with all the kids.

Addie and the Shetland Pony (which she SWORE was a donkey and would not hear otherwise)

Little man was so eager to get in the pen to see the animals. He was looking through the fence and standing right beside me waiting in line for his turn. I looked away for a second and when I looked back he had climbed under and taken matters into his own hands!
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Thank you God for a perfect day and a reminder of the beauty of this season!

Happy Fall Y'all!