The Perfect Fall Day

I have really enjoyed writing for these fall blog prompts. It's gotten my heart all ready for fall, and it's been fun to have some writing direction each week! Today is the last prompt in the series, and it's about the perfect fall day.

At first I planned to write about things that would make up my ideal fall day, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized I've lived some of those days right out loud before. During the last couple of weeks, I've learned of the deaths of a couple of young friends - friends who had a lot more perfect fall days to live in the dreams of their hearts, but the Lord called them Home to Heaven. (And let's face it: ALL the days are perfect there, so I can't mourn anything for those people, because every single day is perfection for them now. But for those who wanted to share perfect fall days with them here on this earth, that reality is fresh and painful, and it has reminded me of the importance of making the most of those opportunities with our loved ones while we have the chance to do so.)

So in the spirit of celebrating the perfect days I've had a chance to live, let me share a few of the highlights with you! (I tried to pick one from each year we've been together, including the year we were engaged.)

* Our Day-Trip to Brown County. If you're not from Indiana, then Brown County likely means nothing to you, but if you're from here, and you hear Brown County and fall in the same sentence, you know it means BEAUTIFUL LEAVES! The day after Ryan surprised me with an on-air proposal, we both took the day off work and drove to Brown County to spend the day hiking, looking at pretty leaves, and planning our wedding. It was an absolutely gorgeous day (until the end when we got drenched in a downpour) and when you get to combine a vacation day, an all-day date, pretty leaves, AND wedding planning all in one occasion, that may actually be THE perfect day.

* Apple Orchards and Pumpkin Carving with Friends. We had been married about 7 months when we headed to the Chicago area for a weekend to spend some time with one of my friends from college. She (and her husband and two kids) hadn't met Ryan yet, so we drove up, stayed with them, and had the best time enjoying all that fall has to offer. They took us to their favorite orchard (photo props galore!!) and then we had a pumpkin carving contest. Even though pumpkin guts gross me out and I'm quite terrible at carving, it was SO MUCH FUN. We took pictures of our carvings and put them on Facebook for people to vote. The combo of friends and fall made it a winner of a weekend!

* Work Days at Home. WHAT?! How is that a perfect fall day? Well, I'll tell you. This memory comes from back in 2014, when Ryan and I were exhausted double-commuters. We were never home, because we were always either at work or in the car. (Separately.) Days at home were absolute gold, and they were about as rare as finding gold, I might add. This day was gorgeous where the weather was concerned, but it also included sleeping in, getting to spend the day together, accomplishing much, eating outside, and being oh-so-grateful for a husband like Ryan to share some of these chores that would nearly undo me in my single days. (There was a giant spider involved.) It may be a different kind of perfect day, but it still was perfect!

* New York in the Fall. In 2015, Ryan and I took a giant vacation in the fall. We started out in Virginia and then made our way north to New York before coming home. It was SUCH a fun vacation in a billion different ways, but our time in New York was picturesque for sure. We spent a day in Letchworth State Park, which was stunning in all its fall foliage glory. And then we spent a full, full, full day at Niagara Falls. I'd been there before, as a child, but it was Ryan's first visit. And I had no idea that the beauty factor goes up tenfold when you visit in the fall. WOW. If you've never gone there in the fall, DO IT.

* Christmas Pictures and County Tours. If you're new here, you might not know this, but Ryan and I are on a quest to visit all 92 counties in our state and do something fun while we're there. As you can imagine, when we get to see counties in the fall, there's the potential for much beauty! Back in 2016, we visited Delaware County (which is where Muncie and Ball State University are located, if that helps you have a point of reference). We happened to have our annual Christmas photos taken there that day, in this beautiful nature area, and then we ate at a delicious restaurant full of character, got to see some unusual things in the city, had donuts from a great bakery, and of course: coffee. We both loved that day so much!

* Corn Maze and Apple Orchard. We took another long weekend trip in the fall of 2017, and we knocked three more counties off our list while we were gone! All these were in northwest Indiana, up by Lake Michigan. To this day, we maintain that for whatever reason, that trip was one of the most relaxing times away we have ever enjoyed. We hiked dunes, we shopped, we slept in, we had so much fun. But one of the last minute additions to the trip was a stop at an apple orchard and corn maze that we hadn't even known about when we went on the trip. We spent a whole afternoon there, and it was so much fun! And those donuts...

* Hiking with Friends. Last fall was SO HARD. We had an insanely busy season on our own anyway, and then late October was when we found out about Ryan's mom's brain tumor, and then she had surgery, and then she lived with us for a while, and then we were busy visiting her in hospitals and out at her house...it was quite a lot for one fall. But smack in the middle of it all, we had one day that we were able to sneak away (and we each took a friend) and hike a GORGEOUS state park here in Indiana. I wrote about it here, here, and here - because I had way too many pictures for one post. It was kind of a chilly day, but we adored the chance to be away, be out in nature, be with our friends, and sort of talk through life. We both loved this day.

And so we have yet to make a proper fall memory this year. We'll get there! (Fall is just starting to arrive, weather-wise, so we will be sure to do something fun and memorable.)

I am so grateful for each of these days from each of these years. I am grateful for a husband who loves to make memories with me, and I'm grateful for friends who add to the joy, too!