a perfect fall weekend

remember that apple cider doughnut i wanted?  

well, i got it-- two and a half to be exact!  

after a fairly traumatic trip for ada to get tubes in her ears friday, we decided to make it up to her with a fun filled weekend.

first, nande, auntie shannon, uncle brendon, baby lukie, and my whole crew headed to the pumpkin patch for a very entertaining hay ride of sorts.

when we got home, reza was waiting for us. 

 there is nothing like getting off early on a friday!

so, what did we do?

we loaded up our truck (honda pilot, really!) and headed to the mountains!

we stopped at my parents on the way and then set off apple picking on saturday morning.

after we gathered more apples than i will ever know what to do with, we drove to asheville and spent the night with old friends in their beautiful house on biltmore lake.

and here are the pictures we have to show for it:

  

ta-da!

and in case you are wondering, yes, my kids are playing with a wine opener, which also serves as a dragon trainer and a ninja sword.

fast forward.

the days move by too quickly, don't you think?  

all the things i have been looking forward to have come and passed.  

now there are new things, big things, little things, but they all pass too quickly.  

in three weeks my man child turns three.  now that he has mastered the two wheeler, he is trying his feet at skateboarding-- no, really, he is.  it is not beneath me to grab a used skateboard out of the neighbors trash and bring it home to my boy.  he was delighted.  i was only slightly embarrassed.

we've had some of our favorite visitors, a beach trip, yard work, you name it.

now, this week, we have a visit from nande, a trip to the gourd farm, and ada will get tubes in her ears.  she is brave, not tough, but brave.

all the kids are snotty as are the grown-ups in our house.  a lovely way to welcome fall.

but we are all perfectly happy as all the weeks pass.

i am pretty sure i should start enforcing hand washing before meals.

yuck.

 how cute are they.

 elias found his match!

 baby lea turned one!

 we ate cupcakes with her.

 enjoying a warm fall day.  did i mention that i LOVE fall?

 this kid mostly ate snacks on the beach all day.

the beach is a good place to eat tasty treats.

 a fall bike ride led to a bruised eye for ada and a swollen bruised nose for hanna.

 his new hobby.

i can't believe this baby is going to be three.

how perfect is he?

i hope your fall is going as dandy as mine.

until later...

x

Ada getting down!

this kid is usually so shy, but sometimes she simply amazes me! almost every friday night we go and hear music on the front lawn of the carolina inn. ada always dances, but with a little coaxing. this friday we got there and she ran straight out on the dance "floor", alone, completely excited and uninhibited.

pure awesomeness. have i mentioned that my family is really into awesome. you should try it!

crisp.

one apple cider donut, please.

i miss boston in the fall.  i feel like i almost wasn't cool enough to live there- all those patagonia clad people.  apple picking, fall festivals downtown.  i miss it...  but really i just want a donut, please.

fall in north carolina is simply to celebrate the fact that we survived the summer heat.  i say that, but i am the very person who celebrates summer.  i need no schedule, i don't fit well into those things.  

now, mornings are early.  

school makes my oldest child off-balance.  

cranky really, but don't tell her i said that.  

here i go again, off topic.  

really what i want to say is that i love this cool weather!  i don't sweat when i rush to and from school at 7:30 pushing 1,2 or 3 kids in a stroller.   pumpkin spice latte's really do make my days better (and pumpkin scones are quite good too.)  i like the fact that i can fit into my skinny jeans once again even if it is just because they have stretched out over the years.  

fall is comforting and down right comfortable.

oh, and how did i forget, the big switch from white wine to red.
yummy.

a few pictures from our weekend: