I spent the better part of yesterday evening after sundown reading your comments from the weekend’s post. How I wish we all could get together for a girlfriend’s getaway retreat.  We’d spend half the time being alone with God and the other half connecting as friends.

Many of you wanted to know the center where I go. It is the one found here. While it is dorm-like and rather rustic, it does have beautiful grounds with woods, fragrant gardens, fruitful orchards & grape arbors, along with several lovely sitting areas.

Oh, I do wish we could all pack out that center for the weekend, my treat! But alas, only two winners could be chosen (randomly by asking my boys to pick a number!) So…..

The winner of the quiet time basket is: PVH; timestamp 9/10 at 7:05 am

And the winner of the free one night stay at the Rosewood Bed & Breakfast is: Lynnette; timestamp 9/9 at 11:41 am

Winners, please send your home address to my assistant at Kim@proverbs31.org along with what it is that you won.

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This past weekend, our daughter Kenna was home from North Carolina. She came for my dad’s 80^th birthday and to spend some time with her aunt who has been recently diagnosed with stage 4 bone cancer.

While it was  quick trip, we squeezed in a few fall family traditions.

Like putting out the autumn decor.

And trekking off to a favorite apple orchard for some donuts and cider.

We took in one of our 16 year-old’s wooden bat baseball games.

And had a bonfire with friends in our back yard.

I loved watching my nearly grown kids (now 20, 16 & 13) talk, laugh and reminisce. It took me back to falls when they were little shavers.

So I thought, for those of you with small children in your life, I’d tell you about a few of our family’s favorite read-alouds for fall. (My kids loved these books when they were young!) Enjoy!

~ The Pumpkin Patch Parable (by my friend Liz Curtis Higgs)

This charming story for children illustrates how a loving farmer can turn a simple pumpkin into a simply glorious sight. In the same way, God’s transforming love can fill each of our hearts with joy and light.

Liz created this parable as a way to share the Good News with her own precious children each harvest season . . . and now with children everywhere. Scripture verses are woven throughout and many lessons about God “cleaning us up” are taught.

Our kids always finished off our annual reading of this with carving “happy pumpkins”.

~ How to Make an Apple Pie & See the World (by Marjorie Priceman)

In this whimsical, geographical shopping journey, a young girl wants to make an apple pie, but the market is closed.

So she ventures off, via various modes of transportation, to gather seminola wheat in Italy, a chicken (for its egg) in France, bark from the kurundu (cinnamon) tree in Sri Lanka, a cow (for butter) in England, salt water and sugar cane in Jamaica, and apples in Vermont.

Soon a delicious pie is baked, and friends are invited to share. Children from all of the countries in which the foods have been found gather round the table. A recipe for apple pie is included on the final page. Delightfully and brightly illustrated. This was a hit with my kids!

~ Three in One: A Picture of God (by Joanne Marxhausen)

This perfect-for-pre-schoolers book compares the three parts of an apple (peel, flesh & seed) to the three-in-one concept of God. A great way to introduce children to the Trinity.

This book is fun to read before slicing up a platter of apples and making the yummy apple dip I wrote about last week here.

Pick up a great fall book and make your own memories with the little ones in your life!