At the end of September we attended Indie Craft Parade in Greenville. This was our third year shopping the craft show, and we also love the Holiday Fair put on in December by the same folks. There's everything from coffee to handmade clothing for sale, and it's all by makers from the South. I snatched up some early Christmas gifts, and Connor was happy to just walk around with me and enjoy King of Pops. Later that day we went to Farm Fresh Fair at The Farm at Rabon Creek to check out the antiques and vintage treasures, food, and music. This was our first trip to the farm and we will definitely go back next year! To close out the weekend we met my in-laws at Pleasant Ridge County Park for a picnic and some light hiking. We come to this park two or three times a year for picnics because it's always so clean and there are plenty of tables. There is a really nice shelter that can be reserved, and it's a stones throw away from Table Rock State Park and Aunt Sue's Country Corner ice cream parlor on Highway 11.
The past couple Saturdays have been spent with Capstone, the church Connor and I joined back in the spring. It took us over 6 months to settle down with a church, but when we found the right home for us we just knew. We've enjoyed getting to know other young couples and becoming more involved in our community. A few weeks ago I attended a Fall Women's Retreat with Capstone and Presbyterian Fellowship of Fountain Inn. We enjoyed a Saturday morning full of worship and fellowship. After hearing from Claire Ripley, we broke out into groups (art, journaling, nature walk, missions) and then finished out the retreat with a delicious lunch catered by Sweet Catherine's. I left feeling so refreshed and made a few new friends, too! I think it's so great that two churches can come together to host events and open them up to all women in our community. Last Saturday, our church partnered with two other local churches to host the second annual Haiti Gospel Fund Dinner at the Fountain Inn Farmers Market. We raised over $10,000 in a single night for Haiti, and I am so proud to have played a tiny part in it. We enjoyed BBQ from Carolina Growers Group, learned more about what our teams are doing in Haiti, and browsed through raffle baskets in the museum. Learn more about Haiti Gospel Fund here.
On October 1st we participated in the 14th Annual Lauren's Hope 5k. I really need to write a post just about the LHF and their strides in Sanfilippo Syndrome research, but the short of it is that Lauren is Connor's first cousin. When she was a little girl she was diagnosed with Sanfilippo Syndrome, and passed away when Connor and I were in the ninth grade. Getting to participate in the race this year was so special, and to witness how Connor's whole family comes together to help plan and run the event is inspiring. I hope you'll read more about the foundation here, and consider registering for the race next October! After we got our sweat on, we walked through Aunt Het Day downtown and picked through a couple yard sales by our house. It made my heart so happy to see the streets of Fountain Inn so full!
The Sunday after the race we were all exhausted, so we slept in late and drove to the mountains with Connor's parents and Honey. We stopped in Travelers Rest to grab lunch at Whistle Stop, then picked apples and pumpkins in Hendersonville, NC at Justus Orchard and Grandad's Apples N' Such. Both farms were crowded with families enjoying the crisp air and changing leaves. Apple cider doughnuts are an absolute favorite in this family so it was a day well spent for sure.
Fall has already been so fruitful, and we have more fun planned for Connor's upcoming birthday and a Friendsgiving celebration with some of our favorites from Clemson.