Fall Traditions

I enjoy creating new traditions with Jackie. Over the past few years, I think we have tried to create some that we can look forward to each year, and look forward to continuing them whenever we have kids. Last year in December, we took a Christmas shopping trip...we leave town for a weekend, hammer out most if not all of our Christmas shopping, take in a couple very nice dinners, and try to catch a holiday show of some sort. We have already made plans to do that again this year, and while it is several weeks away or so, I am looking forward to it.

But that's very new. We have done some "Fall" traditions ever since we got married. At some point around the first of October, we head out to a pumpkin patch/corn maze/orchard, etc., and enjoy some of the festivities, and hand select our own pumpkins to carve. We have always picked out three, one for each of us and then a small one for our dog (be it Toby or Ellie this year) that Jackie paints. Later, right before it gets to Halloween, we carve the pumpkins. Earlier this month, we headed to Kercher's Apple Orchard down in Goshen, picked some apples right of the tree (so delicious!), took a hay ride (why do kids find this so exciting?), picked up some fresh apple cider, and picked our pumpkins (including Jackie selecting a whopping 26 pounder).

Its interesting to see how the carving has progressed over the years of this tradition. Initially, I put as little work into it as possible, not so much because I didn't like doing it, but because I have very little artistic ability, and the simpler the better. The first year, 2005, I carved a D for my first name. Year 2, 2006, it was three letters, SJC, in honor of our alma mater, Saint Joe. Year 3, 2007, the first year in the house, it was a block S, our last name. Jackie has always picked out some more challenging things, from a face, a dog face, a ghost, she enjoys the challenge.

Last year, I finally branched out from the letters and carved the Obama campaign logo (as Jackie didn't want to put any political signs in our yard). It was still pretty simple, and it turned out fairly well. So that little success sparks unbecoming confidence, and this year decided to throw caution to the wind and attempt to carve the MSU Spartan helmet logo. Jackie decided to go with a crescent moon and stars. Last night, after dinner, we grabbed the pumpkins, cleaned them out, and started carving. A fun night in our little household, and continues a tradition that we started together that I have grown very fond of....

The end results....