Mid October Weekending

My favorite from the weekend: 

Preparing

This was a special weekend because Abigail came home from college for the first time. It's her 'fall break' and although it's really just a long weekend, I'll take it! 

At first it's disbelief that she's really home! 

Then I just stare at her (I remember this when Anna came home from college) because she's actually in front of me and it just still surprises me and I feel giddy with delight. 

I already had banana bread sliced and in the freezer and also apple bread, but one can not have enough so I also baked pumpkin muffins with cinnamon sugar topping. I always like to have homemade baked goods ready to be a snack with tea or a side in the morning with scrambled eggs or even alongside soup at lunch. I just love to baked {especially in the fall} and I love the feeling of it all tucked away and coziness ready to go! 

Homecoming

She came home on Friday night and filled up our kitchen with love {and lots of dirty college laundry - but happy to do it!} We just had to take pictures. 

Celebrating 

Our annual It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown snack dinner was Friday night. Here is a little peek at the goodness all set up before we ate. 

It's something we all look forward to all year long. We always wait until the college break weekend and it really kicks off 'cozy season' for us. 

Pumpkin~ing

Our trip to the most sincere pumpkin patch in all of New England. I posted it back here. 

There was a lot of college laundry, packing warmer clothes for her to bring back, some correcting, Mass, cooking and eating, and just being together. I've packed my school bag, my clothes are ironed and ready for the week, lunches are made, it's shower and pjs time and then a new week begins! This week I'm taking along my camera so I can capture more of the fall beauty where I live. 

🧡 Our Annual Trip to the Pumpkin Patch 🧡

The drive is oh so pretty with the leaves just beginning to change. I've always loved this little green with a church {oh that red door} and that Victorian home there. 

At first we all thought it was so strange to have our oldest in college and coming home for the weekend. It really is such a surreal feeling. But we always made it a point to visit the pumpkin patch. 

Now here we are years later and out baby is in college coming home for fall break to visit the pumpkin patch. 

The pumpkin patch fixes everything. It started out in our home as a not so great day. But we decided we all wanted to go anyway and boy are we glad we did! By the time we boarded the hay ride/tractor down and through the woods to the pumpkin patch we were all happy and grateful for our time together and for this tradition. 

The Bryton Farm is delightful and not at all insta or website worthy. It's just real and that's why I love it - not commercial at all! 

I walk around taking pictures and the girls and Scott find the pumpkins. 

I ended up buying one of those adorable hay bales and some unusual pumpkins for our front steps. 

Now that farmer is just about as wonderful as they come and go you know what is even cuter? The farmer's wife owns, operates, bakes for her own little shop in town. It's as adorable as you can imagine with all of the fresh veggies from their farm up the street and around the bend. She bakes pies, breaks, and treats. She cans relish, jellies, and jams.  I didn't take a lot of pictures this year but if you click on the years past you can take a peek into the farm store even more. 

There's a new store in town that we just discovered and unfortunately I don't have a picture.  I kinda wish I took my camera inside. The owner of the shop was lovely and I have to tell you that the decor she sold was so refreshing. It was so not Home Goods that I've grown out of. It was kind of primitive country decor that I haven't seen in so so long. It was cozy, happy and charming. I loved it. I can't wait to go back and poke around in the Christmas season to see what she has! 

Overall, this pumpkin patch afternoon reminded me that traditions are what fill our hearts. Traditions are the reason why it feels lovely to come home. They give us something to look forward to, and we remember the simple things in life are really the best things: time together and love. 

Thank you pumpkin patch for reminding me of that. 

Here is a peek back at years past. 

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

I think that's just enough "going back" 

Teapot Shelf

The banners from Susan Branch are the most charming and they set the mood for sweetness and joy in our kitchen. And so does this fall teapot shelf. I'm constantly rearranging it and can't wait to see how it will look at Christmastime.  ❤ Scott built his shelf for me last Mother's Day 

How Things Have Changed

This morning when I got up I looked on this ol blog of mine. I forget actually what I was looking for - probably a picture. And I sucked in to post after post and a really overwhelming feeling of gratitude for staring this blog over 15 years ago. Oh my little girls and my very full life with them. 

I've been thinking about a full life and how life has changed. I have different tasks now than I did then. Things I didn't do back then: 

🧡 teach full time in a classroom 

🧡 plan and gather and review data and make copies and prep for my classroom 

🧡 communicate with my college daughter

🧡 help my graduate school daughter with life and things

🧡 have an instagram all about the coziness of our home and joy of living in New England in the seasons 

Things I did back then that I still do now:

🧡 decorate seasonally because it fills me with joy

🧡 write on this blog (although it has surely changed as life has over the years) 

🧡 clean our home 

🧡 laundry

🧡 bake and plan meals (although Scott as mostly taken over the dinners since I went back to teaching nine years ago) 

🧡 plan the holidays

... you get the idea... life is still very full it's just not filled with littles at home. 

Miss it? 

How could I not; of course I do and always will but I feel grateful that I got to do those years at home not distracted by having to be a classroom teacher at the same time. I got to do the naps, reading, walking outside, little bikes, pushing baby dolls up and down the sidewalk. How how blessed I am that those were my days... day after day after day. 

But now? 

Well now is glorious too. Here is why. I get to see what pouring in to those girls of ours all those years did. I get to see God's hand of faithfulness and how He led them step by step to where they are now and knowing that He will continue to as each day, each year goes on. And I get to be amazed. I am certainly amazed at the prayers answered and the twists and turns along the path that show where they are now.

So really, this small but meaningful life has been and will continue to be a joy and a delight no matter where God leads us. I am in His hands. 

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Tonight Scott and I used rolls of bubble wrap and carefully wrapped up and stored the girls play kitchen. I know we could have about ten years ago when Anna was 12 and Abigail was 8 (I don't think back then they were in the play kitchen ... maybe my 8 year old was), anyway we wrapped it all up.

At the end of the summer we took down the girls high school work area and put in two big wonderful desks (I've got to get a picture of those!) and decided that a nice sectional couch would be wonderful down there. I promise to take pictures when it's all done. That would be a fun post... a look back at this room and how it has changed so much over the years! 

Weekending

It was a good good weekend although I don't have a lot of pictures to show for it! 

Scott and I have a big long home list of things we want to get done this fall season. And boy did he work hard on that list for me! He is currently refinishing two tables. They are going to be so so beautiful! 

I got to go with my Dad to the Goodspeed to see Chorus Line and we had dinner at the Gelston House. It was won - der - ful 

 

Charming Little Pumpkins

 Oh how I do love them up there! 

Sweet Dreams

 

I was really hoping for some cooler weather at the end of this week. But today is still warm. By the end of next week though... 60's! Hooray!  

I love windows open blowing fresh air through our house and because of that we shined up our window, windowsills, washed the sheers, we are ready to go! I even changed up our bedding for the fall. 

I've been loving 'block prints' and so I started with the quilt, added on the bedspread, and some pillows. There are still a few changes I'd like to make but I love it for now... 

~ Quilt: lovely lady linens

~ Bedspread: Dream Quilt from Garnet Hill 

~ Organic Cotton sheets: Quince