Family Fall Traditions

The Autumnal Equinox, aka the first day of Fall, arrives here in ten days! The celestial equator is the imaginary north to south line in the sky above the Earth's equator. Fall in the Northern Hemisphere begins at the moment the Sun crosses this line. In St. Louis, my home town, Fall arrives this year on September 23rd at precisely 3:22 a.m. CDT.

There is so much to love about this season that will soon enough usher us into the cold of winter. The cooler, but not yet frigid, days and evenings are so welcome following the extreme heat and humidity of summer. I so much love the color changes in the Fall foliage. I even enjoy raking all the fallen leaves! Fall fashions are my favorite too, especially wrapping up in a cozy warm sweater with a cup of coffee and a good read. I could go on and on proclaiming my praise of Autumn, but instead I'll share with you a few of our family traditions. Just as we have certain Holiday customs, we also have established certain family rituals that we observe year after year. On this list are family outings that include:

- An annual trip to the apple orchards is always at the top of the list for things to do in the Fall. Nearly everyone I know enjoys a weekend afternoon picking apples at Eckert's. The main farm and orchards are located in Belleville, IL, but our family prefers the orchards at Grafton Farm. They also have a Country Store offering family favorites such as apple and pumpkin butter and apple cider too.

- Of course it just wouldn't be Fall without a trip to the pumpkin patch for some Pumpkinland fun! The farms near our home all offer hay castles, hay rides, ziplines, play areas with large slides and farm animals for the children to pet and even sometimes feed. Our favorite pumpkin patch is at Thies Farm and everyone looks forward to our annual outing to select the perfect Halloween pumpkins for our home!

- Autumn is the perfect time of year for a day trip to a State Park for a picnic lunch and hike in the woods. A trip to Pere Marquette State Park, just outside of Grafton, IL, is always on our Fall agenda! The sites along the drive are magnificent. On one side of the road is the mighty Mississippi River and the opposite side are the river bluffs covered with trees, bushes, shrubs, and wild flowers all gloriously displaying brilliant Fall colors. Following a picnic lunch it's time to stop at the Visitor's Center. There are Park Interpreters available to guide you on a hike. They share a wealth of information about the vegetation and natural wildlife, history of the Park, and even stories about the native Americans who once inhabited the land that is now Pere Marquette State Park.

- Finally, a trip to the Missouri Botanical Gardens, also known as Shaw's Garden, is a priority during each and every season of the year. The Gardens were originally the estate of businessman Henry Shaw and were opened to the public in 1859. The flowers are always spectacular and are breathtakingly beautiful during the Autumn season! There  is also a Children's Garden with play areas and educational exhibits. A stroll through the Botanical Gardens is definitely a highlight any day of the year!

Well, there you have it! So what are your favorite family traditions for Fall?

Those Nine Months...

Zoey's Attic Infant Gowns

When I was a younger I detested the Fall! Summer vacation was over, school had started and it seemed the following nine months of the school year would never end! The funny thing, I think, is that those nine months were actually preparing me in a weird way emotionally and psychologically for a future nine months of pregnancy! When I think about it, those first few months of the new school year, while somewhat exciting, were actually pretty rough getting back into the routine of all day school and homework. A busy and very tiring time for sure and oddly paralleling that difficult first trimester. Then things settle a bit with lots of excitement and anticipation as the holidays approach. Seems a bit like a long winter's nap with energy finally ramping up again... oddly similar to that second trimester. Then Spring fever sets in and I would start to get antsy and couldn't wait until the school year was finally over. Ha! Just like that third trimester! So funny, I never thought to compare a kid's school year with a gestation period, but it really mirrors a similar path. And the one thing I truly loved at the end of the school year was the annual school picnic! New outfits were top priority for this super fun day! Funny again, the arrival of the baby after a seemingly never ending nine months culminates in the biggest event of all! Of course, a new homecoming gown is a must for the precious new little one! Zoey's Attic can help. Zoey's infant gowns and sibling sets with tiny bodysuits for the new arrival add such a special touch to this joyous occasion and are so perfect for memory making photo ops!

Zoey's Attic Sibling Sets