Pumpkin Farms

Growing up in Missouri, we did not have pumpkin farms. We did have hay rides, bonfires, and fun Fall nights. One thing we have enjoyed doing every year since Addie was 2 1/2 is going to the pumpkin farms. It's a great time to be outside enjoying the beauty of the leaves and the changing of the seasons. We had a fun time tonight at the pumpkin farm with our friends from church.

There's just something special about Fall to me. The crispness in the air, the sound of high school football games, and the excitement of school beginning. I am more nostalgic in the Fall and find myself missing the years I was in school. It's funny to think about being stressed in college with papers and tests. The stress is so much different now. I remember feeling carefree with endless possibilities in front of me. College was a time when I didn't know the pain of infertility, or my father's Parkinson's disease, or the reality of losing those I love most. It seemed as if my dreams were just there to be realized. My dreams have changed and my dreams have changed me.

Would I go back? No, and it's for moments just like today. It's doing life with those friends who are so dear to me. One of my favorite things is watching Addie enjoy life with her friends, and I can't even imagine giving up one day with Addie to go relive my childhood. Although as I look at the world around me, I might reminisce about days gone by. There is a reason we are here at this point in history and God has a purpose for all the joys and the pain. Even when we can't see what He is doing, we will remember His hand is over all the mess. His providence is so evident in the beauty of Fall, and I'm so thankful He gives us this season to enjoy!