{secretly laughing}

Every person that I have met for the first time here in PA asked me, "So are you ready for the winter?" 
I tell them that I come from a place that is cold and gets snow, but that I am excited to see the comparison.
I have then had multiple people go on to tell me that I haven't seen anything yet.  And then they laugh in my face. 
This has always bothered me, because there could be crazy bad storms here.... but, I am not from Hawaii and I have seen snow and I am not completely unaware of what might come my way.  But, no matter what I try to tell people they are convinced that I will not survive their storms that they have so bravely endured for years.  

Well today I am secretly laughing in every persons face, that doesn't believe me when I say it snows in Idaho (not Iowa, another discussion to be had another day) because back home in Idaho I hear they got their first snow storm of the season with about 1/2 a foot of snow.  I am also secretly laughing at all of my dear friends and family back home because it is snowing and we are  playing outside in T-shirts in beautiful 78 degree weather.  It is absolutely beautiful here with all of the trees changing colors.  Man I love this weather.

I love this weather so much that we have spent every day this week outside.  All day long.  Even when we should be making dinner we are laying in the driveway in a fort of toys, chairs and bikes, looking at the clouds pass by.  Even when we should be taking quiet times we are running through piles of crunchy leaves.  Even when we should be cleaning the house we are playing at the park with friends.  We are loving this weather because we believe that the snow is on its way and we know that the winter will be long and cold.  So today we will play all day long until we tired and exhausted and then secretly laugh that we had this beautiful day. 

 

fun with friends and thoughts

On a whim we headed out to the beach.
The waves were crashing in.  The sand was cold between our toes.

The boys dug in the sand for buried treasure. They played dump dumps.  They dug their toes in the sand.  They giggled.  They let the waves crash on their legs.  Lew wiped sand in his hair.  We brought half of the beach home with us.  I sat there watching them completely care free being creative as they explored.  They had no expectations of what the night should be like.  They didn't already have it all planned out.  Their joy was genuine and pure because they were finding happiness in the moment.  In the exploration and the journey.  This is something I am working on.  I am finding myself often disappointed because things didn't go as I meticulously planned.  I am working on not having as many expectations for people, for life, for me or for events.   Just enjoying things as they are in the moment.  Good or bad.  It is a process for me.  Something I envy that comes so easily for my little darlings.  How have I forgotten it?  

Port Farms

Fall is here in full force and we are taking advantage of all the fun things there are to do.
The trees are incredible.  Non of my pictures do them any justice. 
I wish I could slow down time and take in all of the beauty before me. 
I feel like the changing colors in the trees represent the changes in our lives.  Constant changes happening too fast.  So really maybe I just want time to slow down so my life slows down.  So I can take in all of the beauty that life has to offer.  All of the giggles.  All of the loves and kisses.  All of the moments that are meant to teach me.  Instead of rushing through them from one to the next.  I know my life isn't crazy but it is the way that I like it.  Simple and joyful. 
 

To enjoy the lovely fall colors we spent a fun evening with friends at Port Farms.  The boys ran, rode bikes, dug in the dirt, buried each other in the corn box, fed the goats, hula hooped, slid down the slides, bounced on hippity hops, picked out pumpkins, watched the bunnies, ran through a maze and had the time of their lives.  Thomas keeps asking to go back everyday.