if I pretend summer is ending... will it?

I like to look at weather.com - okay, fine... I have a slight obsession with it. Its true. 
I hate being surprised when it comes to weather. I like laying our clothes out the night before and I like to go to bed feeling as prepared for the next day as possible. I think doing things like that relax my brain for a good night's sleep. Who knows. 
So tonight, as all other nights, I peeked at the weather for the next 10 days. We're expecting warm weather for the next 2-3 days and then boom... rain. I am incredibly excited. Washington after a couple days of rain is just breathtaking. Everything looks so luscious and dewy and GREEN. And I'm a huge fan of green nature. 
I'll also confess here that I am a huge fan of fall & winter weather. 
I don't like that it seems to bring a lot of sickness with it, but its still my favorite time of year. Even when we lived in California, I would get all excited at the first glimpses of cooler, fall weather and go to the garage, pulling out all the clothes for the next season. The nice thing about living here is that you can sometimes wear the wintery stuff IN the summer. Its been hard to get used to, but I'm adjusting quickly and happily. We had to learn to dress in layers, but as long as we always keep sweat shirts in the van for every family member, all year round, we're good. 
Aside from the glorious weather that fall/winter bring, I'm a big fan of the seasonal festivities. I like lighting candles all around the house, buying new rugs to put in the place where the old rugs have been worn through, from wet shoes scrubbing against them as we enter the house. I adore Christmas music {but I'm not crazy enough to listen to it all year long. It has to be at least November before you'll hear it in our home/car}, I love the food! I love baking the scrumptious tasting 'holiday' foods. I get all excited when the Starbucks barista tells me their Pumpkin Spice Latte is out {yes, I did cheer when she told me last week} and I love how all the leaves turn from green to all these amazing different shades of red, orange and brown. The super cool thing is, we're coming up on our 1 year anniversary of moving to the Pacific Northwest and so I'm getting really excited, because I remember how amazing Fall is here. By the way, I have to say I can't believe we're at the 11 month mark of living here. Its gone by in one fantastic blur

I've been collecting new recipes I want to try this winter. I'm already working on my Thanksgiving Day menu. Call me crazy, but I'm not a chef {by any stretch of the word} and so I have to give this stuff lots of thought and preparation or my family would wish they were invited somewhere else for the holidays. I'm sure you all remember from previous posts in previous years, but we are not a fan of turkey on Thanksgiving. I know its tradition and some gasp when they hear we don't like to eat it, but we don't, so we don't. So I have the freedom to get pretty creative with what I put on the menu! 
And then comes all the baking of treats. I know I'm going to get carried away with this one. It will be the first year, in a long time, that our budget allows for lots of cooking/baking, for fun. I plan on enjoying every minute of it. In keeping with baking traditional treats my Mom always baked, I'm going to add some new ones as well. I saw a frosting recipe on a website tonight and I fell in love with it, just reading the ingredients. I have a feeling my tummy with thank her for posting it, but my hips will not

At any rate, I'm getting excited for summer to end and fall/winter to begin, though I'm doing my best to enjoy each season. 

What are some of your favorite things about the seasons? What's your favorite season? I always love hearing how people like different seasons for different reasons. I'm going to end there, because I think its so cool that it rhymed without me even trying. 

Comments

Emily said…
Okay, I will admit that I am utterly and completely jealous reading this post. Like you, I LOVE fall and winter, and for all the same reasons you do. This fall and winter are going to be a big adjustment for me. No cold weather. No changing colors. Nope. None of that. And the Pumpkin Spice Latte isn't the same when it is September, and 95 degrees outside. So, I plan to live my fall vicariously through you. Make sure you post lots of photos are recipes. And bottle up some fall air and mail it to me, k? LOL!
Melissa Joy said…
I was thinking the same things earlier this week when our fall weather blew in! I am loving it.
So happy to put away my flipflops.
Excited for PS Lattes too!
Sweaters, jeans, scarves.
Fall scented candles.
Earlier sunsets.
Windows open at night instead of the a/c on.
Finishing my garden up for the year.
Making Christmas gifts!

Ooooooh yes, fall is my favorite season. I simply eat it up. :) Thanks for making me drool before I even have breakfast, lol.
Stef said…
Oh, Em, I'm so sorry! I hadn't even thought of that! Although, I follow Kelle Hampton's blog Enjoying the Small Things) and she lives in or near Naples, FL and I'm always jealous at how much out door, year round fun they get to have! The grass is always greener, eh?! Literally :-)

Hopefully my fall/winter posts won't drive you nuts.

Melissa, YES! You got it right on the dot. I love the scarves idea. Speaking of which... I need to go buy a few. I think I only own one :)
Erin said…
Fall is my favorite season, too. I love, love, love.
I've bee hankering to bake. But, it is still too hot here... Our hot just arrived.
Charlotte said…
I am a summer girl. And ours is still going. But I do like the Fall; the smells, tastes and sights. And you reminded me of one thing I very much dislike in N. CA...the ugly brown hills. That was what I loved about the northwest...the green.
Stef said…
Yep... the green is pretty amazing. I think its what God uses to get people up here loving the rain so much. You get so used to everything looking amazing all year round :)
Today is supposed to be 85 degrees, so I'd say our summer is still here as well. I'm okay with it... just excited when I see a 4 day break with rain or cold weather :)
Moulton family said…
hmmm I would have to say that I like each season for different reasons, lol. Here is why. I will start with summer, I LOVE summer!!! but not because of the weather, I don't like it overly hot (ps don't complain about 85! it will be 100 here today :)I love summer because there are so many fun things to do and everyone is out of school so there are a lot of people around to hang with. I love fall weather but it always seems like the start of a new season to me and it kinda makes me sad. It gets dark earlier (well here at least) which is something I LOVE about summer. I love winter because you can snuggle and be warm while it is blistery outside and there are so many great holidays and stuff. I love spring because in CA the weather is perfect and it is the start of our comfy outdoor activity. Meaning I don't worry about rain. I could say a lot more but i won't :)
Moulton family said…
hmmm I would have to say that I like each season for different reasons, lol. Here is why. I will start with summer, I LOVE summer!!! but not because of the weather, I don't like it overly hot (ps don't complain about 85! it will be 100 here today :)I love summer because there are so many fun things to do and everyone is out of school so there are a lot of people around to hang with. I love fall weather but it always seems like the start of a new season to me and it kinda makes me sad. It gets dark earlier (well here at least) which is something I LOVE about summer. I love winter because you can snuggle and be warm while it is blistery outside and there are so many great holidays and stuff. I love spring because in CA the weather is perfect and it is the start of our comfy outdoor activity. Meaning I don't worry about rain. I could say a lot more but i won't :)
Charlotte said…
I am a summer girl. And ours is still going. But I do like the Fall; the smells, tastes and sights. And you reminded me of one thing I very much dislike in N. CA...the ugly brown hills. That was what I loved about the northwest...the green.

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