Hello fall! Ok, I know I am a little late as this post is long overdue. However, I would like to welcome this greatly anticipated season and say good-bye to the dreadful summer heat. Although I realize fall officially started a few weeks ago, we are finally starting to feel the change of weather. Does anyone else feel as though summer lasted way too long? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love summer for so many reasons but this Texas summer heat gets annoying after a while. With that said, I am so excited with the change of season and would love to share with you some of the things I love about fall.

1. The Amazing Weather

One of the things I love the most about fall is the amazing weather. Although it feels like it is such a short period, fall has the perfect weather. It is not too hot nor too cold which makes being outdoors really nice. Today we went to a botanical garden that we visit regularly, and it was so much more enjoyable with the slight change of weather. This is also a great time to take a trail walk around the lake or have a picnic at the park. My kids love having picnics and this is the perfect season for them. It’s the simple things that matter, right? I had a reminder of this right in the middle of the pandemic when we were too afraid to take our kids to any indoor attraction. We would take them to a park that did not have a playground and therefore was not too crowded. I could see their creativity come to live as they searched for the longest twigs and pretended to be fishing in the pond. It was so amazing seeing them entertained for hours and having so much fun without any fancy toys or gadgets. It’s also a great reminder of how little young kids need to have fun.

2. The Fair

Completely opposite to the quiet and peaceful park that I speak of is the State Fair of Texas which instantly comes to mind when I think about the fall. I can't help but to think about the wonderful memories I have made throughout the years with my family and friends. My family has always loved going to the fair and it was a tradition for us to go in a large group when I was a kid. My mom, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, and I, would go together every year and we had the best time. I do find it a bit weird that we normally arrived to the fair around six or seven in the evening. I remember seeing the crowds leaving just as we were arriving. Nonetheless, we made the best out of those few hours and I never felt as though I missed out on anything. Like many families, I have now started the tradition with my own family. I, however, prefer going in the morning when the crowds are relatively smaller. I find it a bit less overwhelming with small children.

3. Home décor

The best way to get me and my family into the fall season is by decorating my home. I love fall home décor and the wonderful autumn scented candles. Let me start with our coffee bar since it is one of the areas in my home that I love decorating. Although I am not a coffee drinker, my husband is a huge coffee lover. Therefore, I think the concept of creating a cozy coffee drinking station sounds really cute.

I also love to decorate the dining table by adding a cute runner and a pretty fall floral centerpiece.

However, nothing says fall like pumpkins. I have quite a few of them throughout my home. My favorite one is this adorable pumpkin that is personalized with our last name.

Speaking of pumpkins, the entry console table is also a great place to decorate with all things fall, including pumpkins, and more florals.

4. The food

With all the fall vibes and the slight drop in temperature, there are also specific meals that we enjoy eating during this season. With the change of weather, I love to cook hot soups and stews. My kids love chicken tortilla soup and although I make it year-round, it definitely tastes better when the weather starts cooling down. We also love caldo de pollo (Mexican chicken soup) and caldo de res (Mexican beef stew). Although I can eat these at any time of the year, my husband does not enjoy eating a hot soup in the middle of summer during 100 degree weather. For this reason, I take full advantage once summer is gone to start making these delicious soups. Every time I make the caldo de pollo, I am reminded of my husband's grandma who is now in heaven. I remember her talking about how she was taught to make the caldo and giving me some pointers so that I could make it as just as good. She was the sweetest lady and I miss her and her delicious cooking very much. Although I now make it for my family, there is no comparison between mine and grandma’s caldo. Guys, you know that grandmas have that special touch and Welita Nena (my husband's gandma) did not disappoint. I sure wish she was here to make this for me. Unfortunately, I will have to settle for my below par caldo as my family finds it an acceptable alternative. Although not comparable to our home-made caldo, we had a delicious broccoli cheddar soup for dinner tonight to kick off the fall season. I wish I could take credit for it but it was actually bought pre-made from Costco. I topped it off with extra broccoli and cheddar cheese and it was pretty yummy. I encourage you to try it if you are in need of quick meals during busy weekdays. I like to have these on hand from time to time as they can save us from ordering take-out on those days where we just don't feel like getting our kitchen dirty, like today.

5. The holidays

The beginning of fall also marks the beginning of the holiday season. Now that our home is fall ready, we have our autumn candles burning, and are cooking all the soups, it is time to start planning for the holidays, which will be here sooner than we know. As I think about the holidays, I can’t help but to get emotional. I find myself reflecting on all the blessings we have and being so grateful for it all. I also think about the challenges that the pandemic brought for so many families, including mine. Thanksgiving of 2020 was hard for many families as I realize some families did not get to be together. It was a year of so much uncertainty and even brought some fear. However, 2020 was also the year I got pregnant with my fourth child. On Thanksgiving Day, I shared the news with my family as it was definitely one of the greatest blessings for me. Although I second guessed attending our family's Thanksgiving dinner that year, I am glad I went. We had dinner in my cousin’s backyard and had a campfire with smores.

My daughters played outside and it was a beautiful evening spent with those that I love the most. Two years later and here I am, counting all my blessings. Although I wish I could say life was perfect, I constantly find myself with the daily struggles. For me, it’s mostly the lack of time. Time is just never on my side. The constant guilt of dividing my time between my four kids, my spouse, my home, and myself is real. I know I cannot be alone in my feelings. Or maybe you are better at managing your time and don’t experience this on a daily basis. If this is you, please share all the tricks with me. On the other hand, if you are in the same struggle bus as I am, know that the best way to overcome this is through faith. I know that God is always on my side, and he always guides me through the most difficult challenges of life. For that, I am always thankful, grateful, and most definitely, blessed.

As you can see, fall is clearly a wonderful season. It is filled with wonderful memories and lots of family time. I am always thankful for it all but this time of year sure makes me count my blessing even more.

As always, thank you for reading my post. I hope you are also getting ready for fall and all the wonderful things that it has to offer. Please feel free to leave a message with your favorite part about fall.