Fall Festivities

Yes, I'm still alive. I have missed blogging, but I just can't seem to find the time. (Well, time is not really the issue. The issue is energy. I'm forgoing a shower tonight to blog and it's probably not the wisest choice I've ever made.) These days I find myself blogging in my head. I've posted many times since July. The problem is that I've created these posts in my mind while I am bouncing a baby or sweeping crumbs off the floor for the 50th time or out walking. The posts never quite make it to the computer screen. I am hopeful, though, that they will soon. I guess it isn't so bad that I am living life rather than typing. That's how I will rationalize it to myself, at least.

I thought a good place to start would be a quick rundown of all of the autumn festivities that have taken place. When a fellow blogger wrote about her excitement about summers end and autumns start before Labor Day, I thought I would cry. I love the hot air. (Well, it really couldn't be considered hot this year, but it was warm.) I love wearing flip flops everyday and knowing that days will be filled with soaking up sun at the park or taking the kids on walks. I HATE being cold and everything that comes along with it. I thought I would be sick when I saw the first patch of yellow leaves on a tree near our home in September. (Fall starts WAY too early out here.) However, we are in the thick of Fall and I have found myself enjoying much of it.

For the last little while I have been on an orange kick. I am LOVING the color. I want to decorate my house with it and even wear it. I'm not talking about construction cone orange but, well, this:



This is the tree right in front of our house. For about a week it changed nearly daily to different shades of a glorious sunset. I can't get enough of the colors of the fall. These are the trees that I got to see as I entered our neighborhood for weeks.


Don't they just wake you up a bit and make your heart happy? I also love the way the leaves look after they have fallen down and are scattered on the sidewalk (before they turn brown). I've so missed the spring in Maryland when the trees blossom and make me feel like I am walking through a tunnel of flowers. Then the petals fall to the ground like snow. The leaves this year made me feel quite the same way. We had some days when the weather warmed up. I strapped Grant onto me and headed out for some leaf raking. I reveled in watching Luke play in the leaves. He was so very excited to run through and throw them. I hope I will always remember the way he pretended to be swimming through them, so sweet. Afterward, the babies and I had a little photo shoot. Luke was thrilled to get to hold Grant.






We had two sets of last minute visitors. My sister, Kim, and her little girl, Anna, came all the way from England to stay with us for a fun filled week. It was SO wonderful to have Kimmy back around and to get to know Anna better. We watch her on the computer all the time but it just isn't the same. The boys had a blast with their only first cousin. (This was so much fun that it will have to have it's own post...one of these days.)



My awesome father came out to bring us gifts and visit for a while. It was so fun to have him here. The weather was wonderful and Luke is still looking for Pop Pop to play with him.




(Jackson was at school when we realized that we hadn't taken pictures right before Dad had to get on the plane.) Having family here is probably the biggest reason that I am seeing things through rose colored glasses lately.

And, of course, there was Halloween. I love dressing up the kids. (Especially when they are young enough for me to choose their costumes.) This year Jackson decided to go as Batman, while Luke got to be Frankenstein and Grant was a little puppy for his very first Halloween. We were blessed enough to have friends to trick or treat with which made the experience so much more fun for all of us.



I was so thrilled to find the doggy costume that Jackson wore when he was a baby. I couldn't find it for Luke's first Halloween. I just think it is the cutest costume ever. (And the baby is pretty cute too.)



This is the first year that Jackson was able to carve his own pumpkin. He was very proud of himself. (That's his Batman mask on his head, not a du-rag. We don't roll like that yet, hopefully never.)



And now most of the leaves have fallen and even been bagged and taken away. Winter is on it's way. I'm going to try to keep a positive attitude about it. Maybe it will turn out to be just as nice as the Autumn has been.