Posted by Justin and Elizabeth West

We've been busy. This beautiful season has been flying by. I am in utter disbelief that it is the middle of November and that Thanksgiving is literally one week away. So, here is a quick recap of some of the adventures we've had:

-Leaf Walks: We checked out all of the beauty around us that the season has to offer. We went on a nice, leisurely walks through nature, letting the kids meander at their own speed. We looked at the trees, picked leaves, found nuts, saw spiders,played with acorns, found trees crawling with ladybugs in search of warmth in the bark (especially awesome because our 4 year old is obsesses with ladybugs!). The list goes on. We brought home a huge bag of goodies from those walks and the kids got to experience some of the unique sights, sounds, and smells of the season.

-Pumpkin patch: We took a family trip to a pumpkin patch. Ever since our oldest was able to walk around, we thought it would be fun to take the kids to a farm where they could pick their own pumpkins out in the field. With our recent move we had to find a new location, and find one we did. We went to a multi-generational family run farm that had all kinds of fun, FREE activities. We road on a tractor-pulled hayride out to the pumpkin patch. We wandered around the field for close to an hour searching for the best pumpkins, right off the vine. We wandered through a hay bale maze. We petted sheep, goats, and a month old calf. And we came home with pumpkins and lots of colorful, fun gourds. (I love gourds!)

- We have continued to enjoy the daily beauty and wonder of the season. We have spent as much time outside as possible.

-We celebrated our College's Homecoming. It was a beautiful day full of celebration and reunions with old friends.

-We celebrated Halloween and All Saints Day with trick or treating and kid friendly costumes and parties.

-We are gearing up for Thanksgiving now. Recipes are being perused. Plans are being made. Excitement is in the air.

Long story short, we have been enjoying the season and keeping very busy. I hope that you have been able to enjoy this beautiful time as well.

Betsy Rubner said:

“Your photographs have captured the beauty of the season. Its a magical time of year for kids. Sometimes we adults forget to stop and enjoy the pleasure of it. Thanks for the reminder.”