L.M. Montgomery wrote one of my favorite books as a child - Anne of Green Gables. In it, the main character has been quoted as saying, "I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers."
Me too, Anne, me too.
What a beautiful month of fall foliage, sunshine, and crisp blue skies we have been enjoying!! I have been appreciating it all the more since returning to Ohio from Texas after spending four days down there for an amazing conference. The sun was out down south too but it was a bit too warm for me with being in the 90s. It's officially sweater weather here in Ohio and it's been fun wearing the fall clothing again now that I have swapped out my closet's seasonal clothing.
It wasn't until a student leader asked me, while we were in Texas, if we had done the family fall pictures yet. I was so touched she remembered this tradition from when she and I cotaught an afterschool class to 5th and 6th graders last year and had talked about it. This semester has been such a whirlwind that I completely forgot about this tradition for a moment. Admittedly, part of me didn't want to think of doing this photo shoot due to it being the first family photo without my beloved furry little Dusty Shamrock.
This is the first year since 2007, when Dusty was just a few months old, that I won't be getting the annual photo with my little sidekick. I'm thankful for the 15 fall photos I do have with him, though! He was also there, with little Hershey Bar/Bear, when we took our fall family photo that became our pregnancy announcement.
I'm glad we did this impromptu photo shoot after mass tonight! When selecting the outfits before mass, on purpose I chose white to be a prominent color to represent our white puppy we're missing. Charlotte also felt like she was a queen in her poofy white fancy dress and said she should wear it to a wedding so she can walk in front of the bride. 😅
Just like how the fall reminds us how beautiful it is to embrace changes, we're starting new traditions as a family. Look at how excited Charlotte Annie was to be able to hold her puppy in her arms now that she is a bit older! She also picked the spot where we took these photos which made her doubly happy.
I'm feeling extra thankful tonight for this cutie's smiles, snuggly little Hershey curled up at a ball at my side as I write, and God's amazing beauty that surrounds us in our little town!
