Autumn Goodness

Lately I've been making a lot of comfort foods for dinner, such as shepherd's pie, spaghetti, meatloaf, and chocolate chip cookies (for dessert, even though Clarence eats them before dinner). Even though this isn't exactly going to help further my goal of losing a few pounds, I can't help myself. Fall is in the air. The leaves on the trees outside of our balcony are starting to change colors and the nights are getting more and more chilly. This time of year is full of nostalgia, memories of my childhood. I want to feel warm and safe, and comfort foods make me feel that way.

September is almost over, which means October is almost here! October is the truest fall month for me. This year we were hoping to go to Apple Days, the apple harvest festival in Clarence's hometown in Montana. Sadly, it probably wouldn't be the best thing for our budget if we took a trip to Montana right now. I've never been to Montana in the fall, or the winter--only spring and summer. Clarence says it's his favorite time of year up there, because all of the leaves are changing and it gets much colder sooner than it does down here. They also buy homebrewed apple cider during this time of year, which is one of the best perks of going to Apple Days. A few of his brothers are going up though, so we'll have to convince them to bring us back a few gallons of the tart and sweet goodness.

October is full of many other exciting events this year. On the 8th, Clarence's best friend Ben is getting married! And then his brother Curt's wedding is on the 23rd, which is also Clarence's birhtday! This year we will have a total of five weddings: Bruce and Annette, Me and Clarence, Ben and Marjorie, Curt and Christa, and now Tusk and Chelann. We're getting into the exciting time of life with so many changes!

Then of course there is also General Conference. I absolutely love watching General Conference with my family. On Sunday, we stay in our pajamas all day and then make Norskies (Norwegian Pancakes) and a huge breakfast. In between sessions, we go on a long walk and enjoy the beautiful fall day. I'm looking so forward to spending a whole weekend relaxing with my family and listening to the words of the prophets. I can't think of anything better.

Then of course October ends with Halloween. While I'm too old now to go trick-or-treating, my mom's traditional Halloween party makes the night exciting and fun. She always makes a big spread of homemade chili and cornbread and other delicious treats; last year Rachel made homemade apple cider doughnuts. Yum! haha I just realized that this post is filled with an exorbitant amount of food--that's just what the holidays bring!

Here's a few things I'm looking forward to his fall:

1: Driving through the mountains to see the fall leaves

2: All of the cozy and cute mittens, scarves and hats!

3: Caramel Apples in Park City

4: Cute fall boots

5: Carving pumpkins