Lauren Lejeune

I am ready for summer to be over. 

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love warm weather and growing my garden and being outside. All the summer activities, I’m all about them. It was nice this summer because I was actually able to spend some time outside and just soak it all in. We’ve gone to the mountains a few times, hung out with friends and acquired a nice summer tan. But I am a fall girl through and through. I need yellow leaves and crisp morning air. I’m ready to break out my warmer sweaters and master some new fall/winter recipes. 

I did my best to wait till August was at least halfway over before I started putting out a few fall decorations. I’ve snuck them in here and there … hoping that Nate doesn’t notice or I know he’ll judge me for it. I think he just needs some fake little pumpkins in his house, and he would understand where I’m coming from. The best decoration I’ve acquired so far? Floating candle lights that you pin into your ceiling that turn on and off with a wizard wand. So. Cool. They’re going up Sept. 1 and not coming down till after Christmas. 

Last year we spent the majority of our fall hunting. We were blessed to fill all of our tags, Nate and I spent the last half of our October processing elk. Every night he would come over and we’d work on it. For Halloween we set up shop in the living room with the curtains open and waited for trick or treaters — our very own haunted house. The whole ordeal ate up a lot of time, but was absolutely worth it. I look back fondly on the memories we made at hunting camp, watching Nate and Jayce harvest their first elk, and me of course, taking home the biggest bull (I was informed that I am not allowed to shoot last again … But we’ll see). 

This year we unfortunately did not draw, so it leaves quite a bit of free time for other activities. I definitely would like to expand on my cooking abilities as well as doing a couple projects with my mom. We are going to make a beef tallow balm and maybe some canning to fit into my monthly goals. 

After a wedding at the beginning of September for a dear friend, I will also be starting my second batch of wine. The first one should be ready to drink any day now, a much anticipated treat to round out the end of the season. I am so thankful for this year and all of the wonderful people in my life and the blessings I have been given.