Fall is Here!

Last weekend was full of fun festivities and it finally feels like fall is here! (Wow, did I seriously just use that many words starting with "f"?) Saturday started with sleeping in, one of my favorite things. Saturday night my sister and brother-in-law, Jenn and Scott, had a fall party. It was awesome! First of all, her house was decorated so cute...for those of you who think I decorate a lot for the holidays, it's nothing compared to what Jenn does! She collects these Halloween houses, and she covered a whole table with styrofoam that she painted and covered with moss and made all different levels, where she set up the little village. My picture doesn't do it justice, but trust me, when all these houses were turned on and lighting up, it looked amazing!

On her front door is this witch that cackles and moves when you walk up...

...and then right in the entry hall are a couple of Harry Potter pumpkins! Love it!

She made jambalaya and I helped grill all sorts of hotdogs (beef, turkey, aged provolone chicken dogs, spinach chicken dogs, and someone else brought some brats). I was so proud of myself since I've never used a grill in my life. I also helped ice some sugar cookies, and Jenn made some delicious apple cider. We made a bonfire way back in the woods in their back yard and Ben said he could have just sat there forever...he loves the smell of a fire.

Sunday we went to the annual chili cook-off held at Phoenix Hill every year. My parents went with us, and we met up with my brother and sister-in-law Wes and Leslie, Jenn and Scott, and several of Jenn's friends. We must have tried 50 different chilis...but I guess I'm just a chili snob or something, because I didn't like any of them as much as I like my own! It was still a fun day though, and nice pleasant weather.

So I have to throw this in here. Ben and I went to Costco Saturday afternoon to pick up some groceries (ahh, buying in bulk...something I missed so much while we were in Germany!). On our way back, we noticed this in our neighbor's driveway and had to stop for a picture.

We hadn't met our neighbors before (they live across the street and over one), so we figured this was a good chance to do so. They had taken their grandson to Shelby County to hunt since it was 15 and under day or something, and he shot his first deer. We made the mistake of asking if they had cleaned the deer out yet, and he lifted up one of the legs to reveal that they had indeed cleaned it out and gotten the "best meat, the tenderloin right up against the backbone"...but what was left looked disgusting!

Bonfire, chili cook-off, and Bambi's mother in my neighbor's driveway. Yep, it is officially fall!