The air is crip, the colors are vibrant, it smells for apples, pumpkins, fallen leaves you can hear the acorns falling, the squirrels gathering them for the long winter ahead and the smoke of bonfires, furnaces and fireplaces starting for the first time is so think you can taste it, hear it and of course smell it. Fall, while it brings joy and peacefulness to so many people also stir up "cold and flu season". In the year a Covid-19 this can be especially… scary. I was so thrilled to see this on the content calendar because it gave me a chance to take something that can be a potentially horrendous time for us and find the positives and embrace the season that so many people LOVE. This was an opportunity to find the silverlining and focus on the good. In a time where so much is scary, negative and uncertain it gave writers a chance to hunt for the appy and share it and it gives our readers a chance to remember and feel the joy that surrounds the changing leaves, the cooler air, the bonfire nights and morning coffee on the deck.

So, even in the time of Covid there are at least 5 things I am still looking forward to, that I am still excited about for the Fall season.

1. The change in the weather. Summer in Minnesota is a special time of year. The land of 10,000 lakes doesn't disappoint on hot sunny days. It does however get incredibly humid here. So much so my "tag line" this summer was "God must think I'm a mermaid and that I can breathe underwater." We had very few tolerable weather days. Another note is that our AC kept "freezing up". This summer was an uncomfortable one. Aside from that, we did not go to the lake like we normally would because of Covid. This weather change has brought physical comfort. It brought new opportunities to safely gather - we COULD get creative about the idea of family dinners. Now that the weather is tolerable on those nice fall days, we could have dinner with extended family. The weather change brought with it hope.
2. Scary movies. I LOVE scary movies no matter what time of year it is. BUT, there is something about the fall, cough HALLOWEEN cough, that makes me extra excited about horror movies. I gravitate towards the supernatural - usually some form of possession, or a slasher movie. NOW, psychological thrillers are a SOLID choice BUT I am having a hard time finding "new" ones. Once the nights get longer and the days are getting shorter I LOVE cuddling up with a HUGE blanket, I'm talking my king sized blanket off my bed, some popcorn and hot chocolate. TV and Movies. This is a small pleasure not even covid can touch.
3. Colors. Fall in Minnesota is something to treasure. If you have never been to the north shore during "Peak color" season, you are missing out. My personal favorite is Gooseberry falls during peak color season. Hiking is still an activity that we can do. I can still get in my car and go for a drive by Lake Superior and be in AWE of all of the magic that is the very essence of fall.
4. Candles. This is the one time of year that I burn candles. They are pretty much going from wake up to bed time. It smells like home… what I would imagine as home. I grew up in Northern Minnesota. We grew pumpkins in our backyard, I LOVED going to my grandmothers and baking - we would even make Lefse as a family for thanksgiving and Christmas. Absolutely every smell that I can think of that reminds me of fall during my childhood and young adult years I can find in a candle and I can find comfort in those memories.
5. Family photos. This year, we are so thankful to say that we are a family of 4. We have built our family through foster adoption and THIS YEAR we get to document our families growth. We ALWAYS do our family pictures in the fall. Seriously, Minnesota in the fall is BREATHTAKING. We can still get our adorable outdoor family pictures - be socially distant- and capture memories. We will FINALLY be able to get our ENTIRE family up on our wall… even if that means we have to just simply and strategically set up my husband's Gopro so that it is really just our immediate family around for these pictures. Family photos in our house are something incredibly special. These photos really help us show our kiddos "you belong HERE", "you are home HERE". Planning the artwork for them to display in our house is always one of my favorites. Last year, we had a very chaotic fall and did not get to do family pictures. I am so thankful that this year we will not miss that opportunity.