Season Love

If I lived anywhere else in the US, I could say that this is my favorite time of year: the air cools, the leaves change from emerald to gold, and the birds gather together for their annual road trip . . .er . . . sort of. But, the truth is, I live in Florida, the land of flowers, where nothing really changes. Oh, sure, the temperature dips to about 60 degrees, but that's it.
Still, I love it.

I can never tell which I like best: Spring or Fall. They're the changing months. I love change. I love the whisper of cool in the wind, and the new colors popping here and there.
At the cottage, the azalea bushes will bloom when spring is coming. I didn't realize when we moved here, but the shrubs lining the front and side of the yard are all azaleas, which means my yard will be bathed in fuchsia and pink come February. Yay for spring! But fall, well, fall now . . . Fall has so many favorites.

• School is back!
  Yes, I was always one of those nerdy kids who couldn't wait to start school. A new backpack, brand new pencils (come on, who doesn't love that smell?), new clothes, and NEW BOOKS. Now, I'm on the teacher end of it all, and I STILL love it. Freshly sharpened pencil, anyone? 
• Mawwiage is what bwings us togetha today . . .
  October 3 marks the two year anniversary of the hubs becoming my permanent partner in crime. Two years down, forever to go. It's a total win. :]
• Chill
  Nature's thermostat cools ever so slightly . . . and that means I can wear my cardigan collection without looking out of my mind. Nothing beats a beautiful sweater on a nippy day.Oh and hot tea. Oo! Oo! And a fire! The Cottage is fully equipped with a brick fireplace, and I can't wait to light it up!
• Road trip!
  Sorta kinda. It's as close as we've come :] Last year, we drove down south to Sanibel for our anniversary weekend. We loved it so much, we're doing it again. And will probably keep doing it for as long as we can. Clear water, white sands, seashells, and everything closes by 8 PM.  Love sleepy little Sanibel.
• Holiday Spirit
  Fall means my three favorite holidays arrive back to back.
  Halloween . .. while I never really dressed up for Halloween, I still love it. Instead of Trick-or-Treating, the parentals took us kids to go putt-putt-golfing. Still do. LOVE IT. And, really, nothing beats a good pumpkin carving party. I'm not a fan of the color orange, but I LOVE it in October and November.
  Thanksgiving means friends, family, fellowship, and great food. I have the excuse to make my cream-cheese-rippled pumpkin bread again! YUMMO!!!
  Then there's Christmas. Golly, Christmas. Hot chocolate, cheesy little tunes filled with warm fuzzies, Christmas lights (we actually have a house to hang them on!), Christmas trees, family traditions (I demand the annual viewing of Muppet's Christmas carol with the bro and the pops), caroling (small group may carol this year and I CAN'T WAIT). Have you ever noticed that everything smells better around Christmas?
  LOVE. IT. ALL. 

This year, fall also hold the arrival of our new furry friend. Our breeder's litter of American Dingos were born on August 26, and we will be making a road trip up to Tennessee to pick up our pup! They are so adorable!

We are hoping to bring home one of the two orange females, but time will tell :] Our breeder still has some pups who have not been spoken for, so, if you're interested, visit here for more info. 

And that, in a nutshell, is why Fall is fabulous.

What's your favorite thing about Fall?