It's Autumn Time (almost)!

 I generally love summer, but by the end, I'm ready for a change. You can only spend so many days at the pool or eating popsicles or finding some way to beat the heat before it gets old. I love the first few days of early autumn, when you wake up and open the door and it's not already 80 degrees plus humidity. Literally, it's a breath of fresh air.

Because of the "extreme" temps here, we haven't taken advantage of our natural surroundings as much as we should. So when a gorgeous, cool Saturday came around a few weeks ago, we decided it was time to find some good hiking trails. 

 We didn't have to go too far at all, and the kids had a blast. This trail near our house was covered with obsidian rocks that the boys collected for arrow heads.

 Peter also wanted to find more specimens to add to his growing "walking stick" collection that's been growing on our front porch.

 We caught a sweet moment before Peter realized the camera was out. Nora worships her brother.

 This past Friday, Paul took the boys to the annual Father's and Son's camp out that our local church puts on. Pretty nice to be able to just show up with your sleeping bags and tents and have friends, entertainment and awesome food there waiting for you!

The boys getting their fill of little boy adventure time.

 Paul's favorite part about it is the campfire time. He brings his mandolin every year and jams with several older men whom he admires and respects.

My plans for a quiet evening with this cute girl were quickly thwarted just minutes after the boys left. I contracted a nasty stomach flu, which lasted nearly all night. In some ways, I was glad the boys were out of the house so they could rest and stay away from the germs, but it was a long night on my own. Thankfully, I can finally say I'm recovered now. I'm so glad morning sickness is not something I constantly battle with. I love being able to eat real food.