Just Add Faith, Trust and Pixie Dust

Tuesday, October 28, 2025

~ Family Weekend ~

I can't believe this was our fourth family weekend! And I can't believe it was our first one for Abigail... my mind just can't seem to wrap around that fact!

I adore family college weekends and Fairfield University did a beautiful job. We had perfect weather... sunny and chilly, chilly, chilly!

Arriving and Hugging

Noticing

What a beautiful campus...

I love these two more than anything in the whole world 🧡

Both of our girls are Fairfield girls

Anna is attending a three year graduate school program for school psychology (that post explaining all that is back here) (living at home)

Abigail is a freshman (living on campus)

No better feeling in the world 🧡

Enjoying

We spent some time in her room - she wanted us to bring up her Christmas decorations for right after Halloween

And then we spent the morning and afternoon on campus. So much fun! Such a beautiful campus -

Loved seeing her church!

We went to an art gallery with such beautiful works - no cameras were allowed inside but I didn't want to forget that special place.

Exploring

Fairfield had fun and yummy food trucks

After some time we went into downtown Fairfield - love that sweet charming town.

And then back on campus for Mass which was lovely

We had dinner reservations at 7:00 in the most lovely Italian candlelit restaurant.

We headed back to campus for bingo - there were hundreds college kids and families there and both of my girls won!

We stayed over - our heads hitting the pillows around midnight.

The next morning was a fun breakfast at Firehouse Deli

Past Family Weekends:

Monday, October 20, 2025

~ October Weekending ~

Noticing

Noticing how the messy/pretty our backyard looks right now. I love all of the crunchy brown leaves scattered all near the white picket fence.

Soaking

Soaking it all in on a fall country drive to an wonderful little town. (that post is back here - Capturing Autumn)

Loving

I love how our front steps look this year - simple - colorful - happy

Enjoying

I was in my classroom trying to tie up loose ends and get home for the weekend when my phone rang... my Dad around 4:10 asking if we wanted to meet him in this adorable town for pizza and their Halloween displays. I was tired and wanted to get home and do nothing but I said yes, oh boy am I glad I said yes!

Most adorable pizza restaurant right on Main Street, walking through crunchy leaves and their Halloween displays.

The bakery and ice cream shops stayed open late which made it oh so festive!

Apple pie ice cream in a waffle cone!

Went inside here for a hot drink - Scott got hot chocolate and they toasted the marshmallow.

Working

I had a bunch of school things this weekend but I worked slow and made it cozy which I actually like (feels so good to get those tests corrected!) which Anna was reading behind me.

Loving

A home day (holiday and no school in CT - Diwali) which was rainy and C O Z Y with some extra time to get a few things done, enjoy our home all cozy for autumn, and read.

🧡 There's No Place Like Home 🧡

Pumpkins and haybale all from this little pumpkin trip.

After our 29th autumn married I finally found a squirrel spray that actually keeps the squirrels from eating our pumpkins!!! Living in our tree filled home in CT we have an enormous amount of squirrels and this is the first time I've had pumpkins on our front steps! (link here)

Sunday, October 19, 2025

Capturing Autumn

Saturday was just so gorgeous - sunny, chilly, and peak leaf color where we live - so we just had to get out, drive those curvy country roads past farm stands filled with pumpkins, and just be in that goodness!

We've taken leaf drives every year. Here are just a few I linked:

This one stands out the most to me because I had us all matching and wanted to get some family pictures that year. My girls were just so adorable then! (part 1) (part 2) (part 3) (part 4)

This is the same town we visited in 2016... Riverton

Oh I was such a good photographer back then... it actually really inspires me to get out there and work my camera more!

More fall goodness:

There have actually been so many other leaf fall drives since then.

This year it was just Scott and I. Abigail is a freshman away at college and Anna was busy with grad school work and decided to stay home.

Just the drive is music to my ears.

But lovely little main street towns are charming too and especially wonderful to visit in the fall.

In some of those links (above) you can see us at the Riverton General Store. It's a great place to visit!

Scott and I bought a cranberry walnut sourdough muffin to split at this adorable bakery "Orchard Hill"

We walked through Peoples State Forest as we have many times before sharing our treat.

And then I filled a basket of pine cones. I plan on spraying the tips gold for the Christmas season. I think they will look lovely in a basket or a bowl.