Fall and kids and shopping

Fall, yes. Kids, of course. Shopping? No. Usually I loathe shopping but I LOVE deals. At GoodWill I found two tops with tags, from my favorite store, Torrid. Eee! My size, cheap, and brand new. Can't beat that right?
Not unless you go to Old Navy for the first time ever and happen to be there 30 minutes before closing on the last day of a clearance on sale items. 40% off the lowered prices. I got tanks for $.75-$3 each. I got a necklace and earrings for $4.59 total. It was amazing!!
I needed new clothes, too. Fall has hit in full force and I'm not fitting my old clothes so well. The first snow of the year lasted about 4 days and was just below mid-calf. So pretty yet so early. We'd gotten the boys new coats, but we were missing boots for the oldest and only the youngest had a snow suit. I love warm sunny weather even if I dislike wearing less and less clothing in public, I adore fall and it's colors and smells and the change it brings, but since we moved to Deschutes County the thing I love the most is the snow. I adore the snow. It's so peaceful and quiet and clean looking. I especially love the shapes it makes on branches and fencing and such.
The indoors being warm and cozy and smelling of apples and cinnamon, kids with pink cheeks and messy hair, the neat little squeak when someone takes the first steps across the snow.
I love bundling up, too. Caps, scarves, coats, and boots. So colorful and cute. The kids are getting so big, I want to share with them the wonderful memories I have of family times and first snows, and cider on cold night, games after dinner and the joy of gathering together with loved ones you might not get to see as often.
It's cold gray days like the one we're having today that make me miss my Dandad even more. On days like this he'd brew a pot and we'd stay inside and talk over coffee. I'm sad that my kids will miss out on those moments but I know they're forming their own as they grow. They're getting so tall, smart, and independent and I'm overwhelmingly proud of them. Handsome little men who look just like their dad. Big blue eyes, sweet little dimples. yup, I love those monsters.