The gift of a day

I keep remarking to Kevin that this is the most beautiful autumn I have experienced here. I am constantly "ohhing and ahhing" over the trees, the skies, the animals...everything around us. A simple drive to the store has me mesmerized. He responds with, "You know this is your last autumn here for awhile so you are just observing things and taking things in that you haven't before." He might be right but either way, I am counting my blessings. Each day is truly a gift and I have set out to make the most of it! We weren't meant to still be here experiencing Oregon in it's autumn splendor. According to the last moving date given to us we were supposed to arrive in Mountain Home tomorrow, but there was a silver lining for us with the government shutdown - it cancelled Kevin's orders. Not permanently, but long enough to give us another month here.

We have been graciously accepting our gift by celebrating the little things:

{acorn gathering}
Some for us to feed to our squirrel friends and some for us to make crafts with {Preserving the beauty of autumn just a bit longer with dipping our leaves in beeswax}
This has been an autumn tradition of ours ever since we moved here four years ago. I remember we discovered how to do it at the very first Portland Waldorf School harvest festival we attended. We make garlands, wreaths, have them hanging/falling from branches above our nature table, and we do so much more with them. The possibilities are endless. I think we might try hanging them this way this week, too. We seem to be collecting more than usual this year, it may be a bit of an addiction. It's to the point now that I turn on our crockpot full of beeswax first thing in the morning because I just know we'll have a pile of leaves to dip at some point in the day.
{family time around the fire}
The cold is starting to set in and we have been enjoying each other's company while we keep warm close to the fireplace. C crafted some Halloween decorations today while sitting on the hearth. Not exactly autumn related but I had to share that my not so little K lost her two top teeth! What a relief it was for her to naturally lose them instead of needing to have the removed. She has three more loose ones at the moment, as well. She is so proud!

and speaking of K... She has been making the whole family the most extraordinary roasted pumpkin seeds! She does it all herself start to finish and oh my are they delicious! Perhaps it's time to promote her from sous-chef position. I know someone who is trying to show me that he is ready to help with cut up...
He might eat more than he gives me, though. Silly Bubba guy! I so enjoy his help, any way we wants to give it.

What do you celebrate in your autumn days?

The gift of a day