Autumn around home means family birthdays, wonderful weather, colorful leaves, outings, and Veterans Day celebrations. Since we’re home (and I’m still going to doctors visits), we got to enjoy autumn in Alpharetta–and have the best deli sandwich ever.
September 1 meant using my leaf Starbucks card and a pumpkin scone. I tried a pumpkin spice latte and loved it!
Our first birthday celebration was for Chris. Then came Zach, Peggy, and Montana for fall birthdays.
Loved playing Skyjo together at Chris’ birthday evening.
early October drive to see fall colors
Every October for years we’ve taken a 4-hour drive to Cashiers, North Carolina, that takes us through a national forest with beautiful change of colors. This year we had to take an early October drive on a Monday since we planned to visit Brian and family in Florida later in the month. Our usual restaurant destination was closed on Mondays, so we had to find another place close to Cashiers.
We couldn’t believe how beautiful the colors were!
We tried Mica’s Restautant in Sapphire Valley. It’s a go-again restaurant.
Nearby was Ski Sapphire Valley that had a couple of ski slopes and this bunny hill with a conveyor to move new skiers up the “hill.” This is a long way from the bunny slopes we knew when we were young.
The drive from Cashiers to Highlands (North Carolina) is one of the most beautiful fall drives we’ve ever taken. On our way, I started to have an urge for ice cream. We remembered a great shop along the main drive in Highlands, but we couldn’t find it.
Instead we found a Kilwin’s that was so popular on this beautiful fall day.
The Sunday before Halloween, kids wore their costumes to church. This is one of the cute kids we saw.
leaves!
Fall means leaves falling all over our yard because of all of our hardwoods. Sometimes it seems like it’s raining leaves.
Barney gets to blow all these leaves into a pile and then mulch them in an electric mulcher. He’ll be doing this almost every week until early next year.
This pile is just from today.
Our leaf mulcher (in the middle of the pile of leaves) finally died after 10 years of hard work. Just had to order a new one.
Mulched leaves go into bags until it’s time to spread them under the trees and bushes.
another outing
Our son Jason found this next place on one of his days when he had gone out for a hike and said we needed to go there. So we did in early November.
The Tomato House Farms has three stores: an open air covered shop, an indoor gift shop with everything in it, and a grocery store (kind of) with a deli. We had the best deli sandwich we’ve ever had!
in front of the open air shop
Inside were decorative items for outside and inside a home. They had the most funky items we’ve ever seen.
more decorations
The 2nd floor of the gift shop was reserved for everything Christmas. We were overwhelmed.
Each November, my local DDD alumnae group gets together to celebrate our sorority that was founded in 1888. Our local group represents 50 colleges and universities across North America.
What a wonderful group that met together this year, along with collegiates from Brenau University in Gainesville, for our Founders Day celebration.
Windward’s veterans celebration
Barney and Jason walking toward the staging area.
Some veterans in uniforms while others are in the everyday clothes (like Barney).
Since Jason lived on bases with his dad, this day is for him too.
Love my Marine!
a parting view of the flags
Our celebration day was also National Donut Day, so we went to a donut store Jason knew about.
So many to choose from!
And on the actual Marine Corps birthday (November 10), we celebrated!
sports
Pictures of our Florida grandsons playing sports will be in the next blog post about our trip to visit them in October.
Tucker (a freshman) loves playing lacrosse!
Montana (a senior) signed with University of West Georgia to play soccer next year. Tucker is on the left taking pictures.
What an accomplishment for Montana. It’s been a long and successful run for her and her family. Tucker should be next in 3 years.
Grandparents got to participate in this exciting night.
We celebrated as a family at their favorite restaurant, Chili’s.
In October we wanted to take a 3-week trip to see our Florida family and do some sightseeing on the way home. Not all plans work out the way we plan.
