Usually.

Usually, in September and October, my life is full of raking leaves, agonizing over Halloween costumes, decorating Halloween sugar cookies, visiting a pumpkin patch and carving pumpkins, watching football, making all-things-pumpkin-infused, and breaking out the hoodies and sweaters.

A little bit of fall decorating that I did get to do before Surgery Day.

But this year isn't like most years.

Some of the Fall crafts that I made during the insomnia days of September.  It was simple: buy the cheap decorator pumpkins from Wal-Mart, spray paint them whatever color you want (I used a creamy-white) then hot glue on some twine.  Easy peasy, but time-consuming.  Perfect activity for a sleepless night.

The fact that today is the last day of October feels unreal to me. 

Since September 13th, time has kept going when I felt like it should have stopped--or could have at least had the courtesy to pause--but no such luck.

Time stops for no one.  Cliche, I know, but true nonetheless.

And now September and October of 2012 are gone and I will never get those months back.

Another Fall craft I made during September--Here are instructions for the wreath.
The letter is from Hobby Lobby, sprayed with leftover paint from the pumpkins.
Then I just added a wide ribbon for hanging.

The things that usually happen at our house in the Fall will have to wait until next year.

But guess what?

It's okay.

If I'm learning nothing else from my current stay-home-do-nothing-because-I-can't-do-anything condition it's that a lot of the things that go on in my life are unnecessary. 

Don't get me wrong...next year, we'll be carving pumpkins like pros and whipping up about a zillion batches of pumpkin bars and taking every hayride we can get ourselves onto, but for now...

Miss B in her quickly-pulled-together Pebbles costume.

Just being alive, just being with my family is Enough.

My three little lovies--Beggar's Night, 2012.