The Mom, Wife, Dream Life

At the start of every year, Ethan and I plan out activities we want to do and create each summer, then as fall rolls around, we plan out our fall activities and the memories we want to build and create together as a family.

Creating fall memories doesn’t have to be hard. It doesn’t have to be extravagant, expensive, or what everyone else is doing. We have a list that we want to achieve before winter comes, and then we will create a winter list of things we want to do. Things we want to experience as a family, and things we want to achieve during the winter months.

Here is a typical list that we usually have for every year during the fall season:

Go to a pumpkin patch
Attend fall festivals
Go on drives to look at the trees
Carve pumpkins
Trick or treat through businesses during the day
Trick or treat at family houses
Get yummy hot drinks (Hot Chocolate, Steamers, Apple Cider, etc.)
Play in leaves
Family Pictures
Watch spooky movies
Eat yummy treats (caramel apples, baked goodies, etc.)
Fall walks in the park
Wear lots of sweaters since it’s “Sweater Weather”
Snuggle in blankets
Decorate for the holidays

This list is just a basis; there are a bunch of specific things you could do and add to it if you’d like. Lately, we’ve had the opportunity to go to a pumping patch. It was the first pumpkin patch we took our oldest daughter to, and it’s now the first one that we took our second daughter to. It was such a good memory to share and create together as a family. If you want to watch the video of our pumpkin patch trip, we will be posting it to our YouTube channel soon, so stay tuned by clicking the notifications and subscribing to our channel!

Being able to create these fall memories as a family allows us to feel more connected, more bonded, and more in tune with one another. It strengthens our relationship as a couple and strengthens our individual relationships with our children. Our family has been able to experience joy, happiness, and amazing adventures, all because we prioritize our family. These activities don’t need to be expensive. They don’t need to be incredibly detailed to be memorable and entertaining.

Our family is always looking for ways to have fun, ways to explore, and ways to introduce imagination, creativity, and knowledge-building activities to our kids. Some ways that we can do this at home are by creating those memories from home in the first place. If we want our children to learn and gain knowledge and growth from activities and things off our to-do list, then we need to set them up to succeed. We must allow them to learn, offer them opportunities to be independent at home, and safely engage in problem-solving situations and skills. This allows them to use and utilize those same things out in the world, and allows them to use and remember the tools to create lasting memories that are forever cherished.

The last activity that we have been able to experience this fall has been celebrating and planning the girls’ birthday party. We decided to combine their parties this year, and we chose the theme “These Little Monkeys Are One and Three”. It was so much fun to plan for, create, and experience with them. Ethan and I worked on the decorations by making jungle-themed decorations out of cardboard boxes and paint. It was so much fun to have the opportunity to physically create the items and beauty of their birthday party together. Our oldest, E, was also able to help with some of the painting, which was fun to do together as well.

Since the girls have birthdays in the fall. We get that as another chance to create memories revolving around them. We get to experience firsts with them, such as trying ice cream for the first time, we get to watch and help them in opening presents, playing with friends, and overall celebrating as a family.

This memory of their first combined birthday party was one to remember. It was fun to share the day with them and be able to help them truly know how loved they are by us, their grandparents on both sides, their aunts and uncles, and the little friendships they are creating. I will forever cherish these memories, and I know that they might not remember them, but the pictures and stories we will share will make up for it.

Creating fall memories doesn’t have to be something everyone else is doing. It can be what’s special to you, special to your kids, or just a special outing as a family. Whatever you do, do it with purpose, with effort, love, and full intention of remembering it for the good experience it was/is. Make memories because at the end of the day, that’s what you want to remember. That’s what you want your kids to remember and someday tell their kids. The memories and moments you create today will affect and be remembered later in the future by you and the rest of your posterity. Go out and make memories with your families. I would love to hear from you about what fall memories you have created or want to create with your loved ones!

“Every memory we create is a footprint on the path of a life we make together.”