The Pumpkin Thieves

I'm so sad to see Fall making its way (too quickly in my opinion) out the window. I love everything about this holiday! From the apple cider to the vibrant changing colors of the trees, and yes I even love the smell of burning leaves.

I used to have only one complaint about this season---the fact that I feel it is way too short! I mean, really, such a beautiful time of year and if you blink you miss it. Meanwhile we have to trudge through a good 4 months worth of winter blues shortly following Fall. I'm sensing severe unfairness in this.

My new complaint about this season happened a couple weeks ago (and has continued to happen, with no signs of stopping). You see, in the town I grew up  in, it was considered safe to leave Fall decorations such as pumpkins, gords, corn etc. outside your house. Well, it obviously isn't safe in the town my husband and I live in now!

You have to understand, I absolutely love my fall decorations! (I'm not into the creepy Halloween decorations, but the cute pumpkins and hay bales and scarecrows are how I celebrate the season.)You should also know that if anyone denies memy decor or messes with my what I have there will be a price to pay!

Well...

 not even two days after I slaved over my cute little Fall set-up outside my house (a hay bale, a pumpkin, a gord, and two ears of the most beautiful indian corn I had ever seen) my indian corn went MIA. I was all ready to have it out with my poor, unsuspecting husband, thinking he must have been the thief who took it. After pleading his innocence, my husband suggested maybe some neighbor kids stole it. Seriously? Stealing just the corn but leaving everything else? Well, whatever, we had no other leads, so I bought this.

Shortly after the Missing Corn Incident, my poor, helpless pumpkin started sporting deep gouges all the way around it.

I soon figured out who the culprit...or should I say culprits...were. Squirrels. Little menaces! Oh sure, they look all cute and cuddly and innocent UNTIL they start eating away at all of your Fall decorations!

Now remember reading above my statement about anyone who messes with my Fall decorations will have a high price to pay? All you animal lovers don't have to worry. I didn't hurt the chubby, greedy little squirrels. *But only because they are too dang fast for me to catch!*

Surprisingly enough, I did find a silver lining to this cloud of criminal activity...

 I guess the greedy little creatures did save me on having to carve my pumpkin. Can't say much for their artistic ability, though.

Babies on the Brain

 

The tie which links mother and child is of such pure and immaculate strength as to be never violated. ~Washington Irving

Well, here it is. My very first post. I sat here for the longest time wondering what I could write about.

Then it hit me--write whatever is on your mind and in your heart.

photo via Pinterest

 And I've got babies on the brain.

And my baby in my heart.

As of yesterday, my Little Peanut is 12 weeks along, measuring in at 2.5 inches from the top of its head to its little rear end.

The one recurring though that has been floating around in my head all day: I am a mother.

Rarely ever do I think to myself  I will be a mother. I already am.

At conception, that amazing moment where sperm met egg, I became a mother. Before I even knew there was a beautiful little life inside of me, my own role in life had changed.

Now, if I'm going to be completely honest with this blog, I do have to say as excited as I am, I'm also totally and completely freaked out. I will be in charge of another person's life. I am already in charge of another person's life!

And of course that Thought Train I boarded today put me on a connecting flight. The next thought bouncing its way through my oftentimes overactive brain center was: Being a mother is a big job!

I want to excel in being a mother. I want to be the best Mommy for my Little Peanut. And there's where my perfectionism is going to start showing its ugly face again. I need to come to terms with the fact that I am not going to excel in everything. I am going to fail. I need to rely on God to meet me where I am. To pick up the pieces. And to give me the strength and the grace to keep going.

*Even though this was a semi-serious blog, don't expect deep thoughts all the time! I'm sure my goofy side will be coming out quite often :)