October Comes, October Goes

Fall is perhaps one of our favorite times of year, as is evidenced here, here, and here. Unfortunately, this year we fell way behind in our Fall Festivity Extravaganza. Oh we had great aspirations, there's no question there. But do you ever have one of those days (or weeks... or months...), when all of your well laid plans just unravel before you, leaving you grasping for that fleeting loose string that ever alludes you?

We kicked off October 1st with Jason catching a terrible case of the flu. I followed 2 or 3 days after. This was no run-of-the-mill, go-about-your-day-and-pretend-you're-well common cold. This was make-up-your-will-and-say-your-farewells flu. We both spent about a week couped up, drugged up, and grumpy as can be. During that week, we watched Cider Days come and go on the calender.

When we finally started feeling as though we may actually pull through and live to see Christmas, we realized we now only had 3 weeks to fit in all the Halloween hoopla that we were so looking forward to. First on the list was a trip to our favorite pumpkin patch. We loaded into the car and headed off with visions of pumpkins and gourds and hay in our heads. We got to the beloved patch only to find that it was apparently closed this year. No problem... we would be going to a corn maze next week, and they too would have a pumpkin patch. We went to the park instead, which turned out to be a pretty fun time, as always.

A few days passed before Jason was abruptly sick all over again, with seemingly the same exact thing as before. I followed 2 or 3 days after. Another week of couped up, drugged up, and grumpy as can be (I think the kids noticed the grumpy more than us). It was during this time that we noticed a bat hanging out outside our apartment door. Though I do hate bats, and would prefer to stay as far away from them as possible, I couldn't help but thinking it may have been a little wink from God. Ya know, a little taste of Halloween fun on our doorstep. Thanks God... but next time would you mind sending a cute pumpkin instead?

The following week we were again feeling well and more than ready to go jump in some leaves or play in some hay. On our calender for this week: a hayride. On God's calender for this week: our first snow storm of the year. It was beautiful. And yep, it was also enough to cancel the hayride. All turned out well though as we instead spent the evening playing a fun computer vampire game together as a family while we watched the snow. Hey, vampires are way Halloweeny, right?

With only one week left in October, we made plans to try the corn maze again. If you live in Colorado, you know that this past week has not been ideal for venturing into a corn maze. Please see evidence below:

Day 1 of snow storm (12 inches):
Day 2 of snow storm (18 inches):

Day 3 of snow storm (24 inches):
I've got to admit, seeing this much snow outside our windows left me with nothing in the world to complain about. Sure we didn't get to do all the things we had planned, but can you imagine anything more beautiful!?!? (Have I mentioned that I love the snow more than just about anything else in the world?)

SO... My lesson learned for October 2009: Don't stress over failed plans. God obviously has something better up his sleeves (and He may even send a disease-carrying, winged rodent your way to hold you over in the meantime).