It's about that time!

 

Fall is on the back burner, ya'll! We already hit up Curran's Apple Orchard to get our apple cider slushies with a dozen apple cider donuts. And now it's time for the best fall food of them all... Soup season! You make a crockpot of chili for football Sundays, I make soup.

We already made our loaded baked potato soup and even bought bread to make bread bowls. I can already feel the warmth of the crackling bonfire, smell the spiked hot chocolate, and envision the leaf piles waiting to be jumped in. Don't get me wrong. We LOVE summer! No work, no alarms, no worries and tons of camping and day trips, BUT fall... Sigh...

Football, soup, bonfires, movie marathons by a fire in the living room, pumpkin decorating, homemade costumes, fun townie events. I love it! Even as I write this, my heart is fluttering with all the happiness from those cutie fall crafting sessions. Before I get too far ahead of myself, though, our favorite weatherman is informing us it's going to be a HOT weekend. Oh, Illinois! Get it together! Lucky for me, I get one more crazy summer weekend with flip flops and swimsuit options before I pull out my oversized sweatshirts and fuzzy fleece socks :)

it's not about what we don't have...

We are coming up on my favorite weekend of the year. It trumps my birthday weekend AND my anniversary weekend! It's truly THAT good. Unfortunately, this year will look extremely different. Lighted Christmas parade weekend means family, fun, and laughter. Each year it gets a bit bigger and more meaningful.

Rockton's lighted Christmas parade is the best. They turned it into a whole weekend of shenanigans for adults and kids alike. Friday night they light the trees in the park and for the last few years, they tacked on an ugly Christmas sweater pub crawl. Saturday is fulled with breakfast with Santa, horse drawn carriage rides, craft fairs, photos with Santa, letters to Santa, and walking around town.

The night time is the piece de la resistance! A lighted Christmas parade where you stake your table at the American Legion and fill up on hot chocolate and snacks before bundling up to head outside for the parade. Everyone knows where our corner is. The kids load up on candy and laughter. Friends travel in from out of town specifically for the occasion.

Sunday is unwind day where you head to Settler's Park to see more sights and get your mug for the hot chocolate crawl with the kids. Maybe you hit up a final craft fair or head to a local church to watch a movie projected on a big wall. You are grateful. Your belly is full. Your heart is hopeful that Santa saw your letter and knows you've been good.

So, about this year... the new word at our house is "wallow." We heard it in a movie and my daughter is using every opportunity to say it when it fits. I wallowed for the loss of my favorite weekend. Yes, I did. I am not even ashamed to say it. BUT, my town being the best EVER made a new plan. 

We will purchase luminaries to light up our sidewalks in lieu of the parade. I even decorated the front door with lights. We may even try a horse drawn carriage ride. Santa's letter will get dropped off. We will embrace what we do have, not what we don't. We will praise the efforts of our town and only momentarily wallow. 

I have hot chocolate, love in my heart, and a healthy family. That's all I need right now. There can be shenanigans. There will be laughter. And we will bundle up to see the painted windows and luminarias instead of the parade. We will make it work because that's what this year has been about.

the best weekend EVER

Our small town has a lighted Christmas parade every year. For as long as I can remember, people have bundled up to stand outside lookong at the lit up trucks, floats and fun. How can you not get excited, nostalgic, and feel like a kid again when everyone is happy, smiling, and waiting for Santa to appear from the top of a fire truck? Small town happiness with a touch of nostalgia is where it's at!