It really is.  Dandy.  Fall is.  I love this time of year.  Absolutely love it.  I think that I’ve always been a fan of fall.  There’s just something about this time of year that draws me in.  It reminds me of things.  For starters it tells me that everything is going to be okay and eventually will become anew.  After a very long, hot summer the temperatures will start to drop, brilliant colors will form on my favorite trees, leaves will begin to fall, snow will eventually cleanse, and then spring will burst forth The newness happens all because of fall.  All because of it.  Without fall we would miss out on so much!  (If you’ve never experienced a Midwest fall then I highly recommend it.  Visit a place that has a real and true fall just once.  You will see exactly what I’m talking about.  The beauty of it all.  Truly breathtaking.)

Everything about this season for me is a memory.  My childhood is a big part of this memory.  I remember going with my grandparents to stomp through piles of leaves in the parks near Jefferson Barracks.  We would leave the pathways to find the biggest clusters of leaves.  The crispness in the air was often filled with silence that was then broken by our feet crunching through the giant, untouched leaves.  My grandparents would positively glow at the happiness that I expressed on our leaf walks.  I knew that they were happy and, as their only granddaughter, I reveled in the attention.  The walks were filled with love.  They taught me the joy that is leaf stomping and I can never look at falling leaves in the same way again because of it.

This year the change of season has taken on new meaning for me.  My feelings toward fall are now bitter sweet.  Seven years ago next month my grandfather (the inspiration for the dandy blog) passed away while raking leaves.  In a strange way it was almost meant to happen that way.  Despite the fact that I was thousands of miles away when it happened… It happened while he was doing something that was so closely connected to me.  Something that tied us together.  Maybe that sounds silly, but it has become a comfort to me.  We lost my grandmother earlier this year.  I’ll forever miss our walks together in the fall.

Despite the sadness that I feel this time of year I can still feel the joy of the season.  I’ll always have the wonderful memories and I’ve come to love sharing this season with my own family.  Spending time out in the fall weather with my husband and children, teaching them about the dandiness that is leaf walks, and taking part in all the fun of the season.  There truly is so much to enjoy this time of year.  Last weekend we found ourselves at a corn maze with friends.  Always a fall gem.  It has become a tradition for us to go to this specific maze.  Our dandy kids had a great time while building their own fall memories and I was able to reflect on all the many reasons why I love this time of year.

A dandy fall to all!

Little Tikes recently gave my family the gift of the Cozy Coupe Wagon.  It’s perfect for all of your fall outings.  Stay tuned for the Halloween review.