Good Monday morning! I hope today finds you cozy, healthy and rested. Or at least one of the three! Well, yesterday was the first day I finally felt fall. The air was cool, and the leaves were falling a bit, and it just looked like fall. I just love that feeling. I wish I could put into words the happiness and contentment I feel when I step outside and feel the crisp air, smell the familiar scent of leaves, acorns, and tree nuts in the air, and see the trees shake off their leaves and watch them swirl to the ground. It is nostalgic, cozy, and home to me. That feeling is me, back in my childhood home, after dinner with my family in the TV room where my dad started a fire in the big stone fireplace as the night stretched before us. That is why I love fall.
Our first fall weekend here looked a bit different than at home, but it was no less wonderful. Friday night, Rhett, Kyrstin, Flynn, and I went to the movies to see The Creator. I knew nothing about it except it is a science fiction film about the future on Earth, but it was really good! Very suspenseful.
Saturday morning, Steve and I went to the farmer's market and got apples, potatoes, carrots, garlic, onions, eggs, and delicious Amish bread. I am looking forward to roasting the vegetables tonight! Then, we did a quick clean of the house. I did the bathrooms, Flynn swiffered the floors, and Steve unloaded the dishwasher and tidied the kitchen. I threw in a few loads of laundry and folded them before we headed to the beach for the night. The condo is only ten minutes from the house, so we dropped Mocha off and went to a beautiful mass. We went to dinner at a new-to-us Italian restaurant before heading in for the night.
Yesterday was a cozy day. Steve and Rhett headed to an antique car show, while I did not. When they returned, we watched in shock as our Steelers somehow managed to win a game that, to quote my dear father, "They had no business winning!" After the game, Steve and I took a couple chairs down and sat on the beach like the old married couple we are. The beach in October fits me perfectly. It is cool, not hot. Quiet, not crowded. But still so beautiful and calming. As we sat there, I remembered the days back when we had three and then four children with us. Some splashed in the waves, while others happily stayed with me, playing with our Sesame Street sand toys and making "cake" for me to eat. (Any guess who that was?!) I remembered thinking back then, when I saw an older couple alone on that beach, that someday that would be us. It was not imaginable at that busy, blessed, fun time in my life thinking that these little ones would not always be mine and mine alone. I knew in my heart they would grow up, as that is what they are supposed to do, but it seemed so far in the distance I couldn't even catch a glimpse. Suddenly, we are here. Sitting alone on the beach on a late Sunday afternoon. Thankfully, God blessed us with Flynn, who, at almost fourteen, is the best child ever and allows us to continue the very best vocation ever. And although no longer the little guy with the silly grin, Rhett, at 21, also enjoys spending time with us, and we are so thankful. Madison and Peyton are hours away right now, but they are always in my heart and on my speed dial. Through the magic of cell phones, we get pictures of each of their days. Like Madison and Nicolas making dinner...
