Change of Seasons

What a beautiful, cool, crisp morning to begin the Fall season.  It makes me feel like having a warm mug of hot chocolate (or enjoying the next best thing I have available in my pantry: Ovaltine).  In fact "warmth" is what I think Fall brings.  The warmth of delicious things being baked in the oven.  The warmth of family and friends being brought together to celebrate the holidays.  The warmth of the season's spicy scents like apples and cinnamon, pumpkin and ginger, cider and cloves.  The warmth of bundling up in a cozy jacket or slipping your feet into a pair of soft slippers.  I love the changes this season brings.  

Q.  What does Fall bring to you?  I would love to read your comments about what traditions you celebrate this time of year!

Speaking of celebrations, a couple days ago we celebrated my daughter's second birthday.  This has been a new season I have enjoyed as well.  I love hearing the new words Leala is able to say every day or watching the things she's able to accomplish all on her own.  And speaking of traditions, I started one with Leala last year on her birthday.  She got this really cute little pink crown with one of her birthday presents and I had a 12 month size dress that I had been holding on to for a special occasion since it was given to me at a White Elephant Gift Exchange the December of the year before.  So on her first birthday, September 21, 2010, I dressed her in that special dress, put the cute crown on her head, and took the first of her annual birthday pictures.

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This year, when I was shopping for notebooks for my Women's Bible Study group, I spotted these really cute princess tiaras at the Dollar Tree.  I was able to go back for it after I was given some birthday spending money.  I also had a hand-me-down dress I had in the back of Leala's closet that I had saved to be worn for her birthday.  So on Wednesday, starting at noon, the time she was born 2 years before, I shot her second annual birthday pictures.

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As I mentioned in my last post, Discovering the Mission of Motherhood, I loved Sally Clarkson's suggestion at the end of chapter 1 in her book The Mission of Motherhood, to start a book for each of your children, writing their story in it and adding to it each year as they grow.  It reminded me of the opening scene in What a Girl Wants and when I found the movie stills online to give you a visual of what I was talking about, I forgot that Amanda Bynes's character, Daphne Reynolds, got dressed up each year on her birthday too.

When I finally do get Leala's little book started, I'll make sure to post pictures of it on here for you all to see.