Monday Morning

We interrupt our regularly scheduled posts concerning cozy November evenings, changing leaves, and cute little puppies. This week is all about a special little mouse who is having a birthday! Yep. We are taking a trip down to Florida to celebrate two very special birthdays...Mickey Mouse turning 90, and our sweet little Flynn turning 9! We are blessed to have some awesome people staying here and caring for our puppies and our home, and are looking forward to spending some family time together, as well as meeting up with some special people too. : ) In the meantime,

Selfies on the way to Mass are still a thing around here.

But luckily we were paying attention and spotted some awesome elk on our way.

These pictures do not do justice to their size!

Sorry about the lack of picture quality here!

We enjoyed cookies and coffee on a cold, snowy day.

And my sweet little Flynn could not wait to check out our first snow of the season.

Mocha. 

What else can I say?

Have a wonderful week, my friends.

I'll be checking in from time to time.

And before I go...

Words are not enough.

Happy Veterans Day to all who serve or have served so we can be free.

Friday!

Welcome to the weekend, my friends. This promises to be our first cold and possibly snowy weekend! Just in time for the cozy, dark, early evenings. It is time to fluff those cushions, pull out the soft throws, pop the popcorn, and get out the games. Cozy nights at home are back. : )

Someone helped us clean up the yard this week.

Let's Talk About...Christmas!

I know, I know. We still have bowls full of Halloween candy stashed in the pantry. We have a delicious turkey dinner to plan and prepare. But. Christmas! 

Let's talk about Christmas, shall we?

Here are a few things you should know about Christmastime around here.

Monday Morning

It is Monday morning. The fireplace is on, adding warmth to our cozy livingroom. The washing machine is humming away, and a new week begins. Today we will do our schooling, change the bedsheets, make a good dinner of turkey loin with steamed veggies, and watch the first episode of The Holiday Baking Championship on Food Network. Yay! 

Are you tired of my leaf pictures yet???

Friday!

Happy Friday, friends. Halloween is packed up for another year, but the memories and the candy remain. Because we had trick~or~treating last weekend, our Halloween was free to celebrate however we wanted. Peyton, Flynn, and I took a late morning walk with the dogs, and enjoyed the fact that it looked exactly how Halloween should! The sky was a weird shade of pinkish orange, the leaves were blowing in the wind, and the air smelled like crunchy leaves. Do you know that smell?? It took me right back to my childhood, walking through the piles of fallen, crunchy leaves while trick~or~treating.

Halloween in our part of the world...

November

“November comes

And November goes,

With the last red berries

And the first white snows.

With night coming early,

And dawn coming late,

And ice in the bucket

And frost by the gate.

The fires burn

And the kettles sing,

And earth sinks to rest

Until next spring.”

― Clyde Watson

October slipped away last night, much like the faded leaves slip from the trees and float to the ground, their job complete for another year. We awoke to November, a month that begins in quiet and calm reflection and ends with excitement and anticipation of all things Christmas. November is a bridge of sorts, carrying us from the ordinary days of autumn to the festive ending of another year. Life passes quickly, especially if we forget to savor each and every day. So today, I choose to take a deep breath, look around, and settle into this most wonderful and cozy time of year.

Happy November, my friends!

Trick~Or~Treat

Read a spooky book ~ Eat too much candy ~ Watch a scary movie ~ And a cute one too ~Listen to some creepy music ~ Wear some orange and black ~ Drink some warm cocoa with some colored sprinkles on top ~ Today is Halloween! 

(Pinterest is all about Halloween too!)

They Were Worth Waiting For

How Much Halloween Fun Can We Cram Into One Weekend?

Well, let's see...

Friday!

Here we are, my friends. Can you believe we have arrived at the last weekend of October? Take a deep breath, because the fun is about to begin! Tomorrow we start the festivities with Trick-or-Treating, followed by pumpkin carving on Sunday. 

So...this happened last weekend!

Cocoa And Cookies

This time of years lends itself to all kinds of festive fun. The evenings are cooler and longer as darkness falls sooner.  We embrace this seasonal shift by continuing simple traditions started years ago.

Just for fun!

I found these oatmeal place and bake cookies at Walmart, and the orange colored cocoa packets right

here on the McStevens website.  We will enjoy this little treat while watching one of our favorite Halloween movies...like Twitches or Halloweentown.

What are some of your family traditions, my friends?

Have a cozy day!