Fall Harvest

I can't even start to describe what Fall does for me. I think people think I'm ridiculous or being silly when I act so passionately about my love for Fall, but I am being 100% serious. Fall truly is the best season of all. When Fall is setting I just feel comfortable and peaceful. I feel rejuvenated and emotionally charged. I also love this time of year because Thanksgiving and Christmas are on everyone's minds and it makes people more giving, more grateful, and more kind. I for one left my grandparent's house over filled with love and gratitude for my family. As my grandpa said, "my cut runs over." We spent the entire day picking apples, digging up potatoes, searching for tomatoes and beats. We had quite the crew, most of my extended family was there and everyone really pitched in a helped get everything done. My grandparents are known for having the world's largest garden, so with that comes the need for an army of harvesters....

We were all happy to help because we reap most of the benefits. We line up as little red hens, eating the wonderful harvest most of the winter. The tall boys were great for the apple picking, the smaller kids were great to make sure there was "no potato left behind", and the rest of us were just good manual labor :)

Oh, don't worry-grandma kept us fed quite well. We picked apples all morning and then came into a fall feast to die for; grilled turkey, a wonderful roasted fall medley of potatoes, butternut squash, parsnips, and carrots, and last but not least-waldorf salad. We stuffed ourselves so full the second shift of picking was a bit more difficult, but much more driven as we had just eaten the most amazing potatoes. My aunt was sure that was intentional. If we ate mouth watering-moist-nutty potatoes, we'd want to gather every last one of them.

What a bounty! We all packed our vehicles full of winter squash, potatoes, apples, and I sneaked some decorative items in as well. As I was driving home last night, I thought of my wonderful mother who brings me joy, my sisters who I adore, my cousin's who are my best friends and I love to pieces, my aunts/uncles who inspire me in lots of little ways, my grandparents for their kindness to us and anyone in need. Most of all, I was grateful that families are forever! I think I got the best one!


















Colin, who is getting ready to serve a mission, found another use for this apple picking bag. He said, "I'm going to fill this bag full of Books of Mormon and give to everyone." And that he will!