Fall

Halloween is one of my family's favorite holidays, and we have some fun traditions that we look forward to every year! My husband Adam, our three-year-old son Mason, and I love getting into the Halloween spirit and spending time with our family. Mason always picks out his costumes, so far he has been Sully from Monster's INC, Mickey Mouse, and Spiderman. Adam and I also try to dress up. We have been Sandy and Danny (Grease) and most recently were Tinker-Bell and Captain Hook. 

One tradition we have is pumpkin carving. We pick out our pumpkins at the local pumpkin patch and bring them to Meemaw and Grandpa's house to carve together. Mason is not a huge fan of getting his hands dirty or helping us scoop out the insides of the pumpkins. But he loves carving and drawing on the pumpkin. And seeing his face light up when we light the candles inside is the best! Everyone always carves a pumpkin, it has turned into a competition of who has the best pumpkin each year! Usually it comes down to Jordan or Adam.

Of course, trick-or-treating is a must for our family. We love taking Mason around the neighborhood to collect candy. It's always fun to see all the creative costumes, and we get a kick out of seeing how excited Mason gets when he receives a piece of candy. We start in our neighborhood, then move to my parents house. My grandparents also come over to see Mason off on Halloween. My grandma goes trick-or-treating with Mason while my grandpa hands out candy. After we finish our neighborhood, we order a pizza and go to my parents house.

The Schnepf Farm Chili Festival has become an annual tradition for my family. It's something we all look forward to each fall. We usually go on a Saturday and spend the day there. The festival has everything from chili cook-offs to live music to carnival games and rides. There are also a variety of food vendors and local craft booths to check out. It's a great way to spend a day with family and friends. Usually Meemaw, Grandpa, Mason, Adam, and I all go together. Sometimes, Jordan, Bryson, and Austin get to join us too!

One of our favorite parts of the festival is the pumpkin patch. We love going out to pick our own pumpkins and taking silly photos. It's a great way to get in the fall spirit and make memories with our loved ones. Mason loves going on the train and seeing all of the different areas. We also take a hay ride to see the new crops, pumpkins, and flowers. Another highlight is the chili cook-off. We always make sure to taste-test all the different types of chili and vote for our favorites. It's a fun and tasty way to spend the afternoon.

Overall, the Schnepf Farm Chili Festival is a tradition that we plan to continue for many years to come. It's a great way to celebrate the fall season and spend quality time with the people we love.

Thanksgiving, we all go to my (Alexis) grandparents house. It's a tradition that we've kept alive for years, and it always brings us together as a family. Over the years who comes has changed but it has always been an amazing family event. When I was a child my grandpa (Bills) mom used to come. I loved getting to spend time with my Great Grandma Eva. My Grandma's (Gigi) older brother and his wife came for dinner every year until recently travel has become too difficult. We always open it up to anyone who needs a place to go for Thanksgiving. My grandma's friends have come, my friends during college, my in-laws, co-workers, church memebrs, really anyone who needs a place. But without fail we always spend it with Meemaw, Grandpa, Uncle Austin, Aunt Jordan, and Bryson. Usually a dog or two comes as well. 

My grandma cooks a huge dinner for us. Of course, the food is always amazing! She is an incredible cook, and she always makes sure to have everyone's favorite dishes. We all pitch in to help with the cooking and cleanup, which makes it feel like a real family affair. After dinner, we like to play games or watch football together. We always end up going to the park down the street from their house to play games, look at the lake, and let the kids play.  

Thanksgiving is truly a time to be thankful for family, friends, and all the blessings in our lives. I'm so grateful for our family traditions and the memories we create together.

One of my favorite traditions is Black Friday shopping! Every year after Thanksgiving, my mom, grandma, and I hit the stores bright and early (around 5 AM) to take advantage of the amazing deals. My mom and I always start out early then go pick up my grandma and meet Austin and Jordan for more shopping. Adam and Mason usually stay home and put up outside Christmas lights.

We usually start our day by grabbing a cup of coffee or hot chocolate and then head to our favorite stores. It's always so much fun seeing all the other people out and about, and there's always a festive atmosphere in the air.  We like to focus on getting our holiday shopping done during Black Friday, so we have more time to spend with our loved ones during the rest of the holiday season. And of course, we always end up grabbing a few things for ourselves as well! It's go a wild and crazy day, but we look forward to it every year. We love the laughs and memories that are made!

I'm so grateful for our family traditions and the time we get to spend together during the holidays. Black Friday shopping is just one of the many things we look forward to every year.