Welcome, Fall!

I've never been able to figure out a favorite season. I love them all. 

But for the next few months, I'll deny that any season other than Fall is my favorite. Seriously. Pumpkins, caramel cider, apple pie, pretty scarves, little girl boots, colorful leaves . . . I love it all!

Happy Fall, Everyone!

Goodbye, Sweet Summer

The last day of Summer. I knew it was coming.

Goodbye to rocking on the front porch, listening to the crickets on warm evenings. Goodbye to running around barefoot. Goodbye to pool days, to popsicles, and to water balloons.

Goodbye, Summer. We'll miss you.

Preschooler(s)

I didn't plan on Porter doing preschool at all. I worked during the first three years of his life and I didn't want to send him away for preschool during the two years I got to keep him home with me. But some moms in our neighborhood started a small co-op preschool group and it sounded like a great opportunity, so I decided to change my mind about the whole issue. This group is great because I only have to send him away for one hour, two days a week. It's just enough time to give us some structure without really taking him away from home too long. Plus, every 4-5 weeks, I get a turn teaching (a small hobby of mine)! During his first week, I took these 1st day of preschool pictures.

During his second week, I got to teach. And since I was teaching and including Lucy in all of our activities, I took 1st day of preschool pictures again for her.

I love these two cuties!

Carnival

Labor Day weekend

Grandma & Grandpa's town carnival

Two very happy kids

Four very happy adults

I love summertime

Rainy Days and Sunflowers

I love, love, love rainy days. They make me homesick for the great northwest. I'm currently training my kids to love rainy days too. I tell them that rainy days are for watching movies, snuggling in blankets, and baking cookies . . . cuz that's all anyone does on rainy days, right? We had a couple of those wonderful rainy days last week.

One of those rainy days turned into a stormy night; the kind that require you to get your kids out of bed and take them out on the porch to appreciate the crazy display of lightning and thunder. In the morning after this particular stormy night, we woke to discover that all the super tall sunflowers in our garden didn't quite survive.

That's okay. The storm was worth it.