Happy Fall

I don't mean Happy Fall as in that is what may happen when walking up my walkway to my front door. You have no idea how much these vines come alive. It's like they wait for you to slowly step over and pass and then they grab you.  So Happy Autumn instead.  Pumpkins up my walkway. It's how we garden around here.

Just another Saturday

Boys getting ready for our bike and hike afternoon.

We be the guides for these young lads.

It is just so beautiful in this part of the country.

I love how the leaves all have so much color lining the trail.

This young lad gave up on the bike and decided to hike.

With three younger boys, there is never much planning that goes into a Saturday. If they were up late the night before, it might mean early naps, or if it's my sleeping in day, which it is every Saturday who knows when nature will wake me up. (today 10:25am).

As I was getting my morning coffee brought to me by my sweet husband I asked what we should do. Emerson typically naps around noon, so our first thoughts were it would have to be a short outing. But then we decided to just see how he does with no nap and just go for it. It was one of those sunny brisk Autumn days when you just have to be outside. So we loaded up their bikes and off we went to a destination only twenty minutes away. It was so nice outside and the boys had so much fun.

We had to park Emerson's bike on the side of the trail and just let him walk. The bigger boys were way to fast for him, and he was more interested in stopping and looking at all the little sticks and stones.

Lately my boys have been asking so many questions about God and why we can't see him. At one point this week Ethan said that he did not think God was real and that he wanted to see him right now. So he prayed at that moment for God to show his face. I know his frustration in a faith without seeing the physical likeness of Jesus. But today, while out on our walk we talked about what God does to show himself to us. Ethan was able to grab hold of and believe that there is truly a God who is real. We talked about what kind of factories could possibly make such a beautiful forest, plants, the colors of the leaves. Our kids live in such a manufactured world, no wonder it gets confusing to them and even us.

This was such a sweet afternoon, that ended in boys later having to run ten laps around the house. Since no one had napped, they were getting pretty grumpy with one another. So in an effort to burn off more steam, energy, and keep them busy while I planned dinner they did their run...walk...stop...run...walk...stop. By the time they hit about the sixth round they were all in good spirits and friends again.

I am blessed by days like today. Just a peaceful feeling of being with a family that is fun. I love my husband, my boys, and miss my older two children who will see these pictures, call home and say..."mom I wish I were with you guys". They do that often. Blessings all.