This Always Turns My Head

September, I love you so much. Thank you for coming to rescue me from the long hot days of summer. I've always had enough by the time you arrive. Thank you for bringing your friend October, you know how much I love October. I love when fall begins, mostly because it turns my head and my attention back home. I baked cinnamon rolls today. It's so hot all summer I don't bake at all and I love baking. Fresh fruit and great salads rule my summer. Watermelon is one of my love languages. I love bbq and grilling. Evenings in the pool and nights on the deck with a glass of lemonade. Fall though, it has my heart. It ushers in the season where life gets cozy. My head and my thoughts return to my home and my family. We are inside more and I love my home. The days get shorter and the nights sitting beside my love in front of the fire get longer. Cider, hot chocolate, warm blankets and fuzzy socks - you're up! Soups, breads, pies and cookies get added back to the menu and everyone anticipates what will come out of the kitchen next. All those bananas I've been freezing become the best banana bread your face has ever known and it's eaten faster than I can make it. Halloween and fall decorations are everywhere. Hayrides and apple picking flow into pumpkins and bonfires. It's the good stuff. So many warm family events, and more wait around the corner like Thanksgiving and Christmas. We are a family steeped in traditions and events we love. My handsome man and I have so many date nights we enjoy all fall and winter. Historic Town Square Christmas events, Old England theming for Halloween in a neighboring town, wine tasting events, Oktoberfests, Apple Dumpling Festivals - we have the best time, this time of year. We enjoy shopping and decorating, time with our kids and grandkids, it doesn't get any better than this. Spring is amazing but for us, summer is just okay. Fall and winter - pure magic. Mostly I love returning to the things that have brought me the most fulfillment throughout my life. Being home with the people I love, caring for them and making memories. Home is my happiest place. The smile on my husband's face when I take fresh pumpkin scones out of the oven, it's heaven. It's here, it's here! It's fall. Let the magic begin!