Monday, September 18, 2017

A Simple Fall Bucket List (And a FALL Playlist!)

...a few fall favorites from last year...











Written last week...

Last night was just what my soul needed.  We had a busy Labor Day weekend, traveling to Indiana so Mila could be a flower girl in her former daycare teacher's wedding.  We had Monday at home, but Beau worked through all three meals priming, painting, and grouting in the basement.  He's been set on finishing this project before winter time, causing a rift in our desire for what weekends should look like lately.  That, on top of night appointments, soccer practice, and other events has led to many nights just feeling disconnected, like two passing ships caught in a tailwind.  

Thankfully, it's amazing how quickly we can get back on track.  Last night, Beau was supposed to work late, but called just after 4:30, excited to tell me he was on his way home.  I had picked the kids up a little earlier, they were overjoyed to have time to play outside, and I got a workout in before going to my freezer to thaw a meal already planned and prepped.  I put on some music, lit a candle, and set the table, feeling content and grateful for a night to be home together.  The rest of our night dripped slowly.  We talked about our days at dinner, all pitched in to clean up the kitchen, did baths and a puzzle, and snuggled up on the couch to watch a little baseball before bedtime.  We watched the prettiest fall sunset out our window, felt the first signs of a crisp September air through cracked windows, and Beau even turned on the fireplace for the first time.  I baked a box of muffins for the next day's breakfast, but gave in to the kids who persuaded me to let them share one before bed.  After they were in bed, I made a cup of tea, climbed under our favorite blanket and scooted in close, reminded so quickly that this life is what you make of it.  These opportunities, to rest, to be together, and to enjoy the simple things like a lit candle on the mantle, a pumpkin orange sky, and all four of us under a blanket, are the holy ground for the life I desire to live.  They refuel me, reconnect us as a family, and invite attentiveness of the ordinary back into a busy life.  

I love this season because for all the busy that occurs as we transition back-to-school, God's creation gives us so much beauty and reason to pause as the leaves change and the days get shorter.  Last night, I crawled into bed and jotted down a few of my favorite fall things.  An invitation to be intentional as a family, to savor the joy of this season, and set apart some holy ground to pause and rest.  And of course, to eat all the good comfort food. :)

Our Fall Bucket List...

1. Bundle up and go for a hike at Hartman on a Sunday afternoon while the soup simmers at home

2. Read a book on the porch with a flannel blanket on my lap
3. Make pumpkin scones
4. Pick apples at Wilson's
5. Visit the farmer's market and make a seasonal dinner with our finds
6. Have a stay-at-home date night in front of the fire
7. Bake a pie, or three
8. Go to the Tea Cellar and sample some teas
9. Drive-In Movie night or Halloween movie night with festive treats
10. Plan our second annual Friendsgiving
11. Spend an afternoon at Barnes and Noble with some good books a cup of chai
12. Plant some spring bulbs
13. Make a thankful tree
14. Take a bubble bath
15. Host a soup night with friends
16. Spruce up the house for all things cozy!
17. Make pipe cleaner trees with the kids
18. Decorate the front porch with pumpkins
19. Go on our annual fall foilage adventure 
20. Wine and cheese for dinner

And because one of my favorite ways to be intentional about enjoying the season is turning on some music to set the mood, I put together a fall playlist for you to enjoy, too.  Fall calls me home and I wanted music that felt that home.  These songs serve as the perfect backdrop to a Sunday afternoon in the kitchen filling a stockpot with soup, a walk through the leaves alone or hand-in-hand with someone you love, or cuddling up on the couch in front of a fire.  Enjoy!

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