It’s been another year, and as the leaves change and the temperatures drop, we start to slide into another fall season.
At least, we’re sliding into fall. The leaves here in the Phoenix area don’t really change a ton, and the weather’s been all over the place.
But let’s stick with the changing leaves and cool weather. Some of the trees here do change, and it’s certainly cooler than the 115 degrees we were facing back in July and August!
Really, though. Fall is probably our favorite season. When the leaves change here, and when we get to travel and see places with more of what you’d think of as the fall aesthetic, it’s gorgeous. The gradient of yellows and browns and that sliiiight bit of purply-pink is such a shift from the usual desert landscape that parts of Arizona truly feel transformed. You might see people in T-shirts and shorts during this time of year, with the temperature bouncing between 80-something and the mid 60’s, but the ability to toss on a cute sweater or coat is great. (Why do they make cold-weather clothing so cute, anyway? It feels like we get to wear it for such a short time! Jo and I have matching leather jackets. Let us wear ‘em just a bit longer, Arizona! Please!)
Being able to work with the doors and windows open is fantastic. Arizona is so hot for so long that being able to let the air flow through our homes naturally makes us feel like we’re outside, and hearing people passing by and smelling the occasional cookout gives a sense of community that we sadly don’t always get in the summertime.
It also gives us the chance to get outside! Neither Jo nor I are really into the pumpkin spice craze (though we’re suckers for Starbucks’s pumpkin bread. I swear this post isn’t sponsored.), but visiting pumpkin patches and going on hay rides are great activities this time of year. Not just because we’re moms, either–we liked them even as teenagers. Dressing up the kids in costumes for Halloween, though, is something that we love as moms. Part of it reminds us of playing with Barbies and action figures as kids, but now that our kids are old enough to have opinions, finding a costume that works for them isn’t just cute or fun, but it’s also rewarding seeing the grins on their faces when they look in the mirror. (Well, in Jo’s case, the excited little dance her son did. He was a ghost, so she couldn’t exactly see the smile, but you get what I mean. She wish she was able to catch his first reaction of seeing his costume! Biggest. Smile. Ever!)
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Halloween might be over, but as far as we’re concerned, the spooky season starts in September and doesn’t end until Thanksgiving. It’s not always easy to decorate with small children around because they can be tiny tornadoes, but keeping up a bit of creepy-fun decor will never get old this time of year. Kids’ movies around this time really get us more than actual horror, too, if we’re honest. It’s not even because we’re moms; movies like Halloweentown, Twitches, and Hocus Pocus just seem to capture that mix of mystical and spooky and fun that makes the season such a joy for us. In my case, it’s even better: I got married on Halloween!
(Alli’s Halloween Wedding Photo Credit: Davin Lavikka)
Fall is definitely engagement season, too, making us a lot busier than the rest of the year. The shifting colors and dropping temperatures bring something out in the couples we see, and we don’t blame them: transitions like this are romantic. They’re a reminder that though things change, there’s always something to enjoy about the shift, and there are even more treats to come. I think it’s that promise of adventure and potential prosperity that gets couples ready to declare they’re ready to face life together. After all, there’s nothing you can’t do when you have love.
Happy Fall(ish) from us to you!
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