It's Beginning To Look a Lot Like...Autumn

I know I've said this many times before, but I am so ready for Fall this year! The leaves are changing and some have already fallen in and around our neighborhood, so I posted a few pictures of those. I'm going to try next year to "go all out" and do an Autumn harvest display in one of our front islands in our yard (which will probably begin as a do-it-yourself type project, but turn into a "Please help me with this!" type project.) :) This year, we went the easy route and I just bought a few things to make an arrangement at the foot of our front steps. I also remembered to hang the wreath that I had bought last year. It was one of the first "girly" things I bought for our house.

We also had a guy come in our office a few weeks ago selling harvest arrangements. He had been to Woodson Jones when I worked in the office a few years ago and I had bought one from him then. They are gorgeous arrangments of pumpkins, corn, gourds, etc., that he grows in his own garden and puts together himself. When he came to Woodson Jones the first year selling them, he told us he was selling them to raise money for his wife's medical expenses. She was battling cancer at the time and they had three young children at home. (Sidenote: I am really skeptical of people that say things like this when trying to sell something, but a lady in our office goes to church with him and his family.) I had not seen him since then, which was about two years ago, until he came in our office recently. He was talking as if his wife had since passed away, but he obviously still wanted to continue creating the arrangements because he enjoyed it so much. He said that the money he raises this year was going toward a trip to Disney World for himself and his three kids. I thought Zach wouldn't object to me buying an arrangement this year, since the money was going toward one of his favorite things! :) Anyways, I posted a picture of the basket. I have his name and phone number, so if anyone is interested, just send me a message/email and let me know!

Halloween has never been a favorite holiday of mine. I'm usually just ready for it to be over with, then happily move on to Thanksgiving next. Then, after Thanksgiving, it seems like you blink twice and Christmas time is here, which is my absolute favorite time of the year!

Speaking of Christmas, we have already started our Christmas program music at church!! I have been asked to be one of the two Second Sopranos in our mixed ensemble this year and I can't even describe how excited I am about that! We'll have a group of about 8 men and 8 women and we're singing variations of "Jingle Bells," which I realize is a little unorthodox for a Baptist church, but it's something different and peppy, and that's what we love! I am hoping that our families and friends will all be able to be there for our program! It was such a blessing last year and this year should prove to be even better! We have more songs that are familiar to everyone and the theme is "Christmas Bells," so the handbell choir will have an integral part in it too! I love how I am already pumped for Christmas to be here and we're barely past Halloween! Oh well, it only comes once a year, so I'll enjoy it as long and as much as I can.