A Fond Farewell

Summer is winding down around here. Bathing suits and blooming flowers are being replaced with sweatshirts and shades of Fall on the trees. I love this time of year, for the smells and the sights and even the farewell we say to the warm summer season.

We've been taking time to make sure we send Summer out in style. The kids take turns, almost daily, choosing which park they'd like to visit. There's never any fighting because all of the parks around here are pretty great. So, we grab a snack after school, head to the park and play until we're starving for dinner. There aren't many complaints when it's bedtime around here!















We've also been spending time with some of our friends, both new and old, as much as possible. Jazz on the Lawn is such a great event. The kids can run and play and dance, and the adults can catch up over wine and snacks. You can read more about it here.

Last Saturday night we had another great night there with our friends. I didn't get to socialize as much as I would have liked, because Miss Alayna decided she didn't want to do anything but DANCE. That's right-my shy little two-year-old. She wanted to dance, right in front of the stage, AND the speakers, ALL night. She had those musicians wrapped around her little finger. They took every opportunity to sing right to her and even let her sit on the stage while they played. Emerson and Owen had fun chasing each other and their friends around all night, stopping here and there for a snack or a quick dance. And Greyson? Well, he ate about four cupcakes, but he was happy (and not screaming) which made all of that sugar totally worth it.
























And while signs of Fall are everywhere around us, the weather is still showing us some serious LOVE. On Sunday, we packed a picnic lunch, got in the car, and headed West. What we found was pure fabulousness.



That's right, baby. Just one short hour from here is an awesome lake with an awesome beach. Somehow we managed to have almost the whole spot to ourselves. We swam, we explored, we lounged, we ate, we soaked up the sun. There was no time limit-no place we had to be. We just enjoyed the day, all of us.













































This place is a keeper and we can't wait to make a return trip. The kids are making plans already.




October is knocking at our door. It's going to be full of greatness. On the agenda: pumpkins, orchards, my little boy's birthday, Halloween parties, and a trip to Michigan. We're headed North in a couple weeks, but we've been missing the Michigan Fall that we love. Guess what? A little surprise package came from my Mama.



A bag FULL of the best smelling and tasting donuts EVER, straight from the orchard. The kids couldn't get enough. (Neither could I.)



We're ready for cooler weather, but we'll take this warmth as long as it sticks around. Soon enough it'll be hats and mittens and cold noses. Right now, we've got some sunshine to soak up.