Goodbye, Summer. We will miss you.

I used to be a "I only love fall and winter" kinda girl. I like wintery, snuggly clothes and I love a hot bowl of soup.  I don't even mind the ever present rain we have here in the Pacific Northwest--as long as I don't have to be out in it.

One of my favorite things to do is snuggle up with good book (or a good series on Netflix--whichever) when it's all nasty outside and just hunker down and wait it out.  'Cause I am a total homebody like that and if I don't have to go anywhere, well, that just makes this girlfriend happy.  (In fact, Hubs made a comment the other day as I was pulling out the extra blanket for our bed, that I should have been born a bear, because I really like to hibernate.)

Our boy's birthday is sort of our family's unofficial kick off to summer and our girl's birthday is the unofficial close to summer.  Our sweet little bookends.    

Anyhow, as I've gotten older, I have come to appreciate everything each season has to offer.  (Except spiders.  I still can't stand spiders.)  And for me, well, I simply wouldn't appreciate the spring and summer nearly as much if we didn't have fall and winter.  

And we had a great a summer.  A GREAT summer.  The kids love to be outside exploring and just taking in everything summer has to offer.  And that has all but come to an end.  We might have an occasional sun break in the next week or so, but after that?  It will be damp, cold, and dark until about the beginning of April.  And even then we will just get teased with glimpses of the sun for a good two to three months thereafter.  But all that is just a good excuse to get caught up on all those fall TV shows and it makes those nice days we do have all the more special, right? 

We stopped by my parents this past Thursday evening and they were taking advantage of one of the last dry days to get all the summer gear all packed up before the rain set in.

It's just a sad sight to see.  All gone until next year.  My mom might have even shed a tear or two.  Now she knows how I feel the day after Christmas.  It just sort of bums me out. 

While we were at my parents, we picked some of the pumpkins from my dad's garden for my "harvest" display I do outside our front door each year.  

So until I can officially start listening to my Christmas playlists (and who am I kidding? For me that would be anytime...), I guess I will just have to console myself with my spiced pumpkin candle and my favorite pumpkin scones and my favorite pumpkin dip.

And you know what? 

We wouldn't have pumpkins if it weren't for summer.