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Saturday, September 17, 2011

You are Autumn



The slight chill in the air, visible exhalations, the emergence of jackets and cute boots, hot apple cider, the smell of the autumn air... Each year I love fall a little bit more. When I was little I loved the fall season because it meant raking up all the leaves to create giant leaf piles to jump into and making awesome leaf forts. It meant picking the prettiest leaves to press. Back to school and drinking cider. As I became "too old" for playing in the leaves, fall lost it's flavor and just served as an unfriendly reminder of the soon-coming cold weather. Although this reminder is true, lately I am learning to appreciate our weather more and to find joy in every season, in every day. After just typing that I am actually reminded of a song by Nicole Nordeman called "Every Season." The song talks about the changing of the seasons and how we can find God in every season. Check out her beautiful lyrics:

Every evening sky, an invitation
To trace the patterned stars
And early in July, a celebration
For freedom that is ours
And I notice You
In children’s games
In those who watch them from the shade
Every drop of sun is full of fun and wonder
You are summer 

And even when the trees have just surrendered
To the harvest time
Forfeiting their leaves in late September
And sending us inside
Still I notice You when change begins
And I am braced for colder winds
I will offer thanks for what has been and was to come
You are autumn 

And everything in time and under heaven
Finally falls asleep
Wrapped in blankets white, all creation
Shivers underneath
And still I notice you
When branches crack
And in my breath on frosted glass
Even now in death, You open doors for life to enter
You are winter 

And everything that’s new has bravely surfaced
Teaching us to breathe
What was frozen through is newly purposed
Turning all things green
So it is with You
And how You make me new
With every season’s change
And so it will be
As You are re-creating me
Summer, autumn, winter, spring

God can be found in every season. Every day. All we have to do is look for Him; He is everywhere.
 
"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:"
- Ecclesiastes 3:1


What do you love about the fall season? 
Wearing socks and cozy sweaters? The sound of crinkling leaves? Maybe it's apple picking, apple pie, or apple cider? Pumpkin spice candles? Carving pumpkins? The corn maze? Hay rides? The return of football? A new school year? Trees turned vibrant? 

Let’s put it this way- what is not to love about fall?

1997

Alleghany ~ 2008


Fact: You're never too old to play in the leaves. 

~ Now please excuse me while I go curl up in a blanket with some hot chocolate ~

. . .

Monday, September 5, 2011

Mixed emotions


Things Melissa & Rachel will miss about Europe:
1.     Eating gelato every day
2.     Being able to talk about people when they’re right there…
3.     Italian food
4.     Eating whole pizzas
5.     Cannoli
6.     Speaking Spanish
7.     Doing what we want- when we want
8.     Seeing cool things!!!!
9. No homework or chores (except for the massive amounts of homework in Spain)
10. Our friends!!!
11. Eating the bigger meal in the afternoon
12. NUTELLA
13. Being tan
14. Well-behaved dogs
15. No rain or clouds
16. Gorgeous sunsets
17. Paris (Rachel)
18. Not having to tip or figure it out
19. Rebajas & Saldi (Sales!)
20. Dry heat in Spain
21. Not being distracted by texting/phones
22. Hot Madrid police officers
23. The little green men
24. Orange juice
25. FRESHLY SQUEEZED orange juice
26. Not being hungry (Melissa)

Things Melissa & Rachel will NOT miss about Europe:
1.     Pigeons everywhere
2.     The SMELL (“Madrid”)
3.     Hostel awkwardness
4.     Being hot and sweaty all the time
5.     Being sticky STILL at 12am
6.     Creepy men
7.     Spanish pigs (men and ham… lol)
8.     HAM (“NO Jamón!!")
9.     Spain- everything closing down for siesta
10. Italy- restaurants closed between meals (3 and 8ish!)
11. Paying for bathrooms
12. Not having soap/hand dryers/toilet paper/toilet seats!!
13. No separate checks
14. People treating you dumb because you speak English
15. Gypsies!
16. Beggars
17. Walking EVERYWHERE/public transportation
18. Italians being slow (and slower clocks)
19. Being thirsty all the time/no cold drinks (Melissa)
20. Paying for water in restaurants
21. Wearing wrinkled clothes EVERYDAY
22. Living out of our suitcases
23. Loud streets at night – ex: garbage collection at 1am in Spain
24. Spanish food
25. No air conditioning anywhere! Even train stations.
26. Not having phones
27. The ambulance siren
28. Cars hating on pedestrians
29. RAIL EUROPE
30. Not having seats on trains
31. Bad pillows
32. Not being able to sing
33. Waking up for breakfast
34. PDA everywhere
35. Immodesty
36. Treatment of women (esp. Spain)