A Small, Fall Tradition

(October 2013)

When we first got together, we quickly bonded over our shared love of fall. It helped that we got together in August, right before the season began, but we also bonded over our love of something else, and it’s something we look forward to every year.

We got our first DQ Pumpkin Pie Blizzard in 2010, the year we got together. They had been out for years before then, but Thomas had never had one, so as the temperatures dropped, it seemed appropriate to try one out. And oh man, we were hooked after that.

Have you ever had one? It’s made of vanilla soft serve ice cream, pumpkin flavoring, pie crusts, whipped cream, and some nut meg sprinkled on top. Imagine what the season of fall would taste like if it was cold and savory but rich and warm at the same time, and that’s them, complete in a little cup. They’re rich, so we can only eat a couple during the season, but they’re so worth it when you want a little sweet treat after dinner!

It’s one of the things we most look forward to every fall. It’s actually become a little tradition of ours. Every year, we look up when DQ releases them (usually on the first day of fall) and Thomas will surprise PJ with one on his way home from work. Every year, it takes us back to when we first started dating and the magic that surrounds this time of year for us. The air changing, the leaves crunching, the cookie making, the sunlight dancing. It’s all a part of our story and it all means something different to us. The pumpkin pie blizzard is an annual treat released by Dairy Queen, sure, but it’s also a token of love, of sorts, one that brings back so many wonderful memories about where we started and how far we’ve come as a couple.

Our tastes in clothes have changed and we’re more open to different types of music now. We’ve been to multiple countries since the fall of 2010, renovated a few houses, and added a couple of new furry members to our family since then, too. But some things, no matter how small or silly they are, you always end up coming back to year after year. It’s kind of comforting, don’t you think?

What small, meaningful-to-you traditions do you celebrate each year? We’d love to hear them!