Its the most wonderful time...of the year!

We enjoyed a long

(4 days for the girls and I!)

weekend at home.

With help from my little assistants,

I cooked and cooked and cooked.

And then "baked"

Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispie treats.

I am craaaazy during this

Season of Wonder and Delight. 

I said it last year. 

 I repeat last years sentiments.

Again.

Equal parts sun and chill and overwhelming

quilts of color that make me believe in a love and an art and a spirit so grand.

I am a sucker for cardigans, soup

and hunkering down.

Rosy cheeks, football,

extra blankets and...

 whiskers on kittens?

(just kidding on that one)

These are a few of my faaaavooorite things!!!!

(not kidding)

 

We were gifted with a new extra fridge/freezer

from the outlaws for our 10 year anniversary

and I am filling it up with goodness to freeze

and enjoy in the months to come.

Tomatoes from the neighbors garden have turned into meatsauce, pasta bake, carnitas, and soup.

 

I love to be a homebody,

because it happens so rarely, but...

after a few days of the hunker down part of our weekend, I was ready to get out of the house.

 

So we headed to Cantigny Park, where we had our family pictures taken last year

around this same time.

(you remember our matchy matchy

lavendar plum-ish Christmas card, right?)

Let me remind you.

(omg.  How coordinated!)

 

 

At the time, we encouraged

our (hobby) photographer

to start her own business.

And she did.

And when we arrived this time,

 there she was there waiting

for another family to photograph!

It was awesome to see her business growing!

I told her if the other family didn't show up,

she could take pictures of us again.

(hardy har har)

We have been her super models this year,

displayed in her marketing material and whatnot.

I have seen us on bulletin boards

everywhere once or twice around town.

We are super models.

Its a fact.

I had to sign a super model release form and all.

It was likely the first and last time

for me to be a supermodel.

 

So, on this day,

 I played photographer instead.

 

More Scarecrows!

Harvest goodness.

(and a reminder to me of my last visit

with belated Aunt Mary, years ago,

when I presented her with my lame-ish attempt

of love, comfort, and a final goodbye

showing up in the form of 

a candle and poem both called The Harvest.)

Hello from the Earthlings Sweet Mary!

I carry you with me.

I light the Harvest Candle

every year in your memory.



Here's the real super models, that got my picture on those 2 bulletin boards around town.

 

 



I did get in a picture.

There is an article going around about Mom's getting in pictures and it explains...

Why am I in this picture?

And why I asked for it to be taken when I am dressed like a Sprocket from Saturday Night Live.

And why I asked for it when I didn't wear a

little lippy gloss to give my face some color.

And why still,

I post it, when my footwear is clearly a "Glamour Don't".

 

Because I was here. 

Just like so.

Happily holding two wiggly girls on my lap.

 There is beauty.

Beauty in the every day.

If you take a moment and pay attention.

 There is beauty in all of us.

A rainbow of beauty.

Just they way we are.

And now in Morgan Freeman's voiceover

I demand "you to enjoy the fleeting season and take joy in beauty and change!"