We are back from our adventures, and what fun we had! The boys were terrific travellers, and it was such a joy to share it all together. Perry and I travelled quite a bit before having children, and though travelling looks quite different with little ones (and a pregnant mama too!) - we had such a wonderful time. The thrill of all the newness- the ocean, the language, the food- was so exciting for our little boys, and it was such a delight to watch them learn and engage and explore and to make new friends, and just dive head first (so to speak!) into in such a different world. It will be a good while before we'll be able to afford another trip like this, but the timing was perfect for this one- before entering the newborn realm again, and with the boys at such a terrific age for travelling. And we are inspired to start saving our pennies for an adventure sometime in the coming years.

The boys and I continued our trip after Perry had to head home for work, and we took a ferry boat over to see my sister's family and to love up the baby cousin for a few days. So lovely. These boys are going to make terrific big brothers (and this baby is going to have to get used to a lot of lovin' and noisy affection pretty quickly!)

and we are home now, settling back in, welcoming the spring that arrived while we were gone, nursing the colds we brought home with us, and just enjoying being home again.

 

  We spent the weekend celebrating the birthday of this wonderful man of mine- with our little family and then with family and friends. Perry, we love you so. Happy Birthday my love.  

We are celebrating our sweet four year old this weekend. Four! How can it be? We love you so, precious boy, and are so blessed to have you as our child. You are such a joy to us, such a shining, beautiful, sweet, snugly  goofy, lovely little boy. Happy Birthday Dorian! 

(more on the pirate birthday party later- oh we did have fun!)

Outside :: My favorite fall flowers

:: bundling up the onions to hang in the pantry for winter,

:: garden play

::the last of the zucchini and our tiny winter squash of which I am proud (we've never had any success, so three little ones is something!)

:: this little onion guy which Dorian became rather attached to. I asked Dori to pick an onion for our supper, but he thought the "crazy hair" was funny and wanted me to carve on a face. When I asked when I might be able to have the onion to cook he said "No Mama, you can't cook him- he is becoming a friend!" We didn't eat the onion guy.

Inside:: Processing the last food from the garden. We were quite pleased with our bean harvest this year- lots of fresh eating and many for the freezer. They were very happy in the hoop houses.

:: playing inside more now. Dorian takes any opportunity to play quietly on his own.

:: the game "Harvest Time" seemed very fitting this afternoon- the goal of the game is to cooperatively harvest all the garden veggies together before the winter frosts come. We managed to get them all in, just in the nick of time.

We have been sensing autumn's arrival with the darkness lengthening, and the cold mornings and the food positively brimming out of the garden. We are all feeling ready for the shift to a more inward, less expansive sort of energy to our days. We love summer so, but are always happy to welcome autumn when it comes. The raspberries are amazing this year- we have preserved lots already and I have been picking almost daily to keep up with them all. Sometimes I have helpers out there, and other times the kiddos keep themselves busy nearby.

This fort engaged the boys in play for so long- first as a kitchen for making raspberry pie,  then transforming into a home on the beach for a pair of energetic surfers, and then a refuling station for astronauts. And all the while I was picking beside them, soaking in the autumn sunshine and the love for these sweet children of mine.

We are enjoying our last few days home all together before our autumn routines begin. 
Happy weekend, friends!