Sunday, August 4, 2013

Autumn Love

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With August here, my favorite time of the year is finally coming: autumn! It really is the greatest. I love that it's still warm during the days but cool at night. I love that the leaves change colors and that I can dress in layers. I love the back to school sales and the smell of possibility contained in fresh notebooks (college ruled, the only way to go). I love the heavenly aroma of apple cider simmering on the stove, wafting scents of clove, cinnamon, and apple throughout my home. That smell is home. I love gray, rainy days and the leather boots that keep my feet warm and dry. I love wearing jackets and scarves and trying out the newest styles. During the years that I teach, I love decorating the classroom. I love creating name tags and organizing school supplies. I love memorizing the names on the class list so that I'll be able to remember them once I've put faces to them. During the years that I'm in school, I love preparing for the first day. I love buying new textbooks and backpacks. I love the blank slate that I'm given at the beginning of each semester, with the firm knowledge that I already have 100% in every class. I love my birthday and Halloween and Thanksgiving. I love every season, but fall really is my favorite!

Five years ago, when Josh and I were just dating, we started to get serious in the fall. Once, we went on a double date with his cousin and his now wife. We packed up a mattress in the back of another friend's truck and drove up the canyon in the early fall. We dragged the mattress and some blankets out to the edge of a reservoir and the four of us snuggled up with our significant others on the mattress. It was late at night, and we all quickly fell asleep. When I awoke, Joshua was lying next to me with his eyes open, staring up at the starry sky above us, and I asked him what he was doing. He said he had been listening to the coyotes howling around us. We stayed there, cuddled up, listening to coyotes and the gentle waves lapping the shore for a while longer and then packed up our things and drove back to our homes. To date, I feel like that was probably one of my favorite dates we ever went on.

This year, my awesome sister-in-law bought me tickets to come and see her in Maryland in September, so I'm going to get to experience that for a week too! The east coast is gorgeous in the fall. When I was back there two years ago, (time really flies!) the trees and wildlife in the area were my very favorite. My sister Alex and I would take the kids for walks every day so that we could be in the fresh air and sunshine with the boys. I can't wait to see Alex and Amanda and the boys! Hey world, in case you were wondering, this is exactly what I needed! I've been craving a vacation with friends, and I've been needing a change of scenery to keep my mind off of my own worries. This is perfect. I hope everyone gets the chance one day to have a great sister-in-law like mine who just knows when I need to come and see her. I am so so grateful for my friendship with that crazy, beautiful girl.

Fall doesn't always bring good things, but I always feel like it's a fresh start with the beginning of the school year. This is the first year in a long time that I am neither in school nor planning on attending, and I'm not sure if I'll be able to stick it out. Honestly, whether teaching or learning, school is one of my most favorite places in the world, and autumn is my favorite time to be there.

I'm excited about fall, but what are you excited about today? Comment! Let's talk about it!

1 comment:

Shella's Ramblings said...

Yay for an adventure in Maryland with Alex!