All things Fall!

This Fall has been a whirlwind, wonderful and hard. I love being able to look back on a season and see how God moved...the gifts that he gave and the way He has grown (and stretched me!). Here's a bit of a round-up of what this season has been like so far:

- I was a part of planning 2 huge events...one in September and one in October! The first was a huge fundraising dinner for the counseling center I work for. It was so neat to see it come together after so much planning. The second was a handmade market gathering at our church. Not only was I a vendor (my mom and I made candles, pillows, bunting, wreaths and blanket ladders), but I was also the Emcee and shared about the home in Nepal that Kevin and I worked at in 2013. The event was so much fun, and a childhood friend of mine shared her testimony which was so powerful.

- I got pneumonia! Man...it was rough, I had it for 8 weeks, and had to take some time off work. I coughed so hard I thought I broke a rib, spent 3 separate days in the prompt care, and generally felt crummy. The silver lining was that through it all, Avonlea didn't get sick! Praise God!!

- I got to spend a weekend with both my sisters. Lena and I went to Apple Hill (here) where we literally frolicked in all things Fall. And then the next weekend Polly and I spent a weekend in Nevada City, perusing the adorable old mining town, taking hikes, sitting by fires and walking in the rain. My sisters are such lovely people, so it was very refreshing being with them.

- Avonlea turned 6 months in October, and then 7 months in November! She's sitting up, chatting up a storm, sprouted 2 teeth, and is just a JOY. We adore this sweet girl.

- Kevin made it through another harvest season! For about 6 weeks he was gone ALL THE TIME (which was hard)! We went out and visited him a few times on the farm, Avonlea was fascinated by the huge tractors. I found some John Deer boots for her at a yard sale, so she looked a legit farmers daughter, ha! It really is so beautiful out in the rice this time of year. I spent quite a few days visiting with my grandparents as they live out on the farm. My grandpa is 92 and my grandma in her late 80's, and they are just a delight. They adore Avonlea, so it's pretty fun to bring her out there.

- I hosted a Halloween party at my house! We ate soup and salad, handed out candy, and just hung out. Avonlea was a little lamb, so I decided to be Heidi (the little swiss shepherd girl, haha). My grandma lived in Germany in the 1950's and bought a few dirndl's from Salzburg in Austria, and I fit into them, so I used one for my costume. I felt very authentic, hehe! And…my mom came as a pirate, which was awesome. I get my love of dress-up from her…if you can't tell from the pictures below, hehe!

- Our good friend Matt from England came to visit us!! While he was out, we headed to the pumpkin patch to find ourselves a pumpkin! We had a great time with him- he's hilarious! He thinks the batting cages are very American, so we made sure to hit them up when he was here. I even got out there and batted..I now remember why I hate baseball (ha!).

- The Fall colors this year are off the charts beautiful. I'm so grateful to live in Northern California where the changing of the seasons do wonders for the soul:)

Much love to all of you wherever you are. Hope your Fall has been lovely. Here's to the coming of the holidays and winter!!

Apple Hill- the place Fall Dreams are Made of

Think of the most "fall-ish" place you can imagine…and chances are it will probably resemble Apple Hill:) If you live in Northern California, you'll want to visit this stretch of apple farms, pumpkin patches, vineyards, and treats galore! It's the stuff of Autumn dreams:) 

A few weeks ago my sister Lena and I took Avonlea to Apple Hill. It was the perfect day and we had such a blast stopping at all the farms…each unique and fun in their own way! Here's a round-up of our favorite places…

1. Our Favorite Farm: Delfino Farm

This farm is absolutely dreamy. From the minute you drive in, it has breathtaking views from every angle! The grounds are covered with a gorgeous vineyard, apple orchards, corn maze, and grassy knoll for you to enjoy. What I really loved about Delfino is all the walking trails. You can get some good exercise and enjoy the fall beauty surrounding you! 

2. Best Pumpkin Patch: O'Hallorans Apple Train Ranch

O'Halloran's is a diamond in the rough. It wasn't busy at all, as most people don't think to stop…but it is absolutely charming. I felt like they had the most picturesque scenery…we snapped pictures of Avonlea in the apple orchards, and their pumpkin patch is so cute! They grow all their own pumpkins and had a super cute little pumpkin sign! If you want to snap some fall pics, O'Halloran's is your place! 

3. Best Place to eat for food and ambiance: Grandpa's Cellar

I first found Grandpa's Cellar because it's the only place in Apple Hill to offer a wide variety of gluten-free treats (apple crisp, cake and cookies). Their apple dessert game was STRONG! Besides having so many yummy desserts, they also are the only farm in the area to have a picnic area in the orchard. Lena and I took our apple crisp to a table in the apple orchard and ate…didn't get more scenic than that:) 

4. Least Favorite Place: Abel's Apple Farm

Because this place is one of the first farms on the way up, it's PACKED! It's also really tiny so you don't get that "farm" feel. To their credit, they do have a lot of food options, but to me it was a disappointing ambiance. 

Tip: Start at the most northern of farms and work south. Most people start at the southern farms and work up. This will mean that you will hit less crowds! We started at Apple Ridge Farm, and went to Grandpa's Cellar, O'Halloran's, Denver Dan's, and then finished at Delfino! It was a great day! 

Hope this was helpful! We had so much fun. Avonlea LOVED it…she was fascinated with all the people and colors and pumpkins…but her favorite thing was trying to eat the apples! So cute! haha! Enjoy the pics! 

Half a year with our little bean

My entire life i've said things like "when I have kids..." or "when i'm a mom...".

And now i've been a mom for 6 months. My heart overflows with thankfulness at the sacredness of this calling. Motherhood is beautiful. Not easy, but more than lovely.

Tonight as I nursed and rocked her to sleep, I sat there in absolute awe at the gift my daughter is to me. My whole life I knew I wanted to be a mother, and so to be there, in that moment, in the dark as I held her tightly, felt like a dream.

I am a mother. What a privilege.

Sally Clarkson, one of my favorite authors wrote,

"Jesus whispered...this child, whom I created, has special significance to me. Will you take this child for My sake and show her the touch of the love of God, whisper the messages and truth of scripture, teach her to have the character of Christ in living and serving with integrity, and show her how to give her life to a world that is longing for redemption? Will you raise this precious gift I have given you for Me, as an act of worship"

YES! Yes Lord, I say. I so want to raise Avonlea as an act of worship to my King.

It involves sacrifice of myself in every aspect:time, money, patience, love....and on and on.

And sacrifice is so scary, it means giving of myself, even when I don't want to.

But oh...how worth it to allow God to use my one life to bring life to my children!

May Avie girl feel Christ's loving touch as I bathe her, and change her diapers, and play with her, and snuggle her, and feed her in the middle of the night.

May she hear truth sung and shared and talked about in our home...truth about her VALUE and WORTH, truth about God's love for her, truth about our love for her.

May she learn how to be a torch of hope as she loves and serves and brings light to those around her. This...this epic task, I get to be a part of.

So with trembling hands I pray that God would be ever working and flowing in me.

May I decrease so that He can increase.