wrapping up fall.

I can not believe that fall has come and gone.  It was a stretched out season this year.  Indian summer stretched long and then got shoved out by an early snow storm, then came back in to party some more making the leaves less vibrant than is typical for New England, but they were breathtaking none the less.  Just more subdued and burnt, somber and rich. 
It has been a beautiful few months and since fall is technically over and we have our Christmas tree up I need to post a few lingering fall pictures so that I can remember what has happened in this whirlwind of falling leaves and hustling children.  Saren came out for the Power of Moms retreat (I REALLY need to write about it because it was really amazing, I learned some life changing things….hopefully more on that soon).  It was so great to have some Saren all to myself.  She is such an incredible big sister.  I just love being with her.  We went running and marveled in the beauty falling around us.  I love having a sister friend to soak things in with me.  We just get things the same way.

We took the kids into Cambridge on a beautifully warm and windy day.  We rubbed John Harvard's foot in Harvard Yard, walked through Harvard Square and checked out the new Longfellow Park Church building that replaced our beloved building that burned down a few years ago.  We took a serendipity tour of Longfellow's house and played in his gardens.  It was free and fascinating. I love the history that surrounds us here in Boston. Saren treated us to a ‘fancy 'dinner at Bertuccis.  It was so nice to take my kids on an adventure in the middle of the week with such a capable second set of hands, I felt so relaxed and so able to enjoy it all.  We had some amazing Indian summer afternoons where we ate dinner on the deck. And peter kept getting cuter. We celebrated my dad’s birthday by jumping in the leaves right where we do every year.  Elijah came to Boston for work and spent a few evenings and a Saturday with us.  We love that Eli!

We spent a Saturday with my cousin Elisha and her family.  We visited Longfellow Wayside Inn where there is an awesome working grist mill and I took their family photos (and a few of my own kids).  It was beautiful and so good to have some time with them.  My kids adore their second cousins. 

Peter ate a lot of food.  Got two teeth.  Is growing too fast. And yes, he is getting cuter by the day.