Fall Treasures

Hello, friends!  Candy here…

Fall is seriously my favorite time of year!  Crisp, cool air, campfires, apple cider, pumpkin everything, fluffy sweaters, pretty colors, falling leaves, and cuddles.  Paul and I both celebrate our birthdays in November.  Maybe that’s why it’s my favorite.  There is something about the changing seasons that energizes me.  

We have spent a lot of time in the Midwest this year.  I am really excited that we are still up here for this time of the year.  The trick is in timing our departure so we don’t get stranded here.  Ha! My extended family would not be very happy with us.  🙂  We’ll be back in Texas… before Thanksgiving…I promise!  

We did something last weekend that was a bucket list thing for me.  We picked apples in an apple orchard!  Gravert’s Apple Basket Orchard in Sabula, IA was awesome!  I know…to some, that probably seems like a silly thing to have on your bucket list.  It’s such a simple thing.  But, sharing that experience with my children, watching their excitement, and then enjoying the apples we picked together was so much fun!  Oh! And we made a big pot of apple butter!  Yum!

Today, we went for a walk and collected fallen leaves of all shapes, sizes, and colors. Again, something so simple, but something that brings us joy.  

We spent a long time at an RV park with full hook-ups in Iowa, which is nice for a lot of reasons, but oh how I’ve missed “roughing it” at state parks!  

We spent last week at Indiana Dunes State Park in northern Indiana along the bottom of Lake Michigan.  It was a fantastic park.  We would have stayed longer than Monday-Friday if they weren’t booked on the weekends.  People love to go camping this time of year…not a surprise. The beach was beautiful and there were tons of hiking/biking trails. My fractured foot is getting there, but it does not like walking on the sand. Hard, flat surfaces are fine.  I’d love to come back another time when my foot is healed and tackle the Three Dune Challenge!  Sounds like fun.

This week, we are back in northwest Ohio.  We love Ohio.  It feels like meeting up with an old friend. We spent the majority of the last two summers here, and have so many friends here.  We are currently at a park we’ve been to twice before.  We know the area and have fond memories of it. Tyler made new friends over the weekend.  Our campsite backs onto the playground this time, so he is a very happy camper!  Tipper loves it because they have an off-leash dog beach.  It’s been a while since she’s been able to run!  She was so excited!  We even got a free night because we had reward points left from last summer…Score!  We plan on spending probably the rest of the month in Ohio catching up with old friends, and probably making a few new ones.  🙂

So far, we have mostly avoided all of the major rain storms that have come through the area.  It’s been cool and misty today…in the 50’s! Really feels like fall! I love it!  

Fall used to be one of the busiest seasons for us when we lived in suburbia.  The kids were in public school, practice, sports, meetings, concerts, this, that, etc., etc.  Throw in our adult obligations, and we were WAY TOO BUSY!  Don’t get so busy that you forget, or don’t make time, to enjoy the simple pleasures in life. Can I encourage you today to take a nature walk, find pretty colored leaves, cuddle by a campfire, roast marshmallows, play catch, have a cup of cider, go camping?!! Do these things with your children or your grandchildren (depending on what stage of life you are in). Take the time to have a bonding experience with those you love.  Life is too short, and the kids grow up way too fast.  I am very aware with a 14-year-old and a 9-year-old that time is going too quickly for my taste, and I spend almost every moment of every day with mine! Neither of them are “little” anymore.  I have truly enjoyed each life stage with them, but I also know there will be a day when they leave home.  I pray that they move out with a treasure chest of fond memories and resources they can draw from for their further education, careers, ministries, friendships, relationships, and also when they have their own children.  I know personally, my metaphorical treasure chest is overflowing, but it doesn’t consist of many things I can physically show you….That’s what I want to give my children…

Matthew 6:19-21 (NLT)

¹⁹ “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and/or Instagram for regular updates and tons of pictures!  And as always, you can email us at ourmovinghouse@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or just to simply introduce yourself!  Happy fall, y’all!  Be blessed and treasure every moment!