Last Hurrah

As I sit down to write this post, it's cold in my house, and we're contemplating turning on our heat.  However, I found some pictures on my camera that tell another story - one that unfolded only last week.  Michigan, for all of its faults and shortcomings, has moments of pure beauty as well.  One of those times is the precipice between summer and fall, when the trees are beginning to show signs of magnificant fall colors but the air is still heavy with sunshine and humidity.  There may have been a few teases at true fall weather, with colder mornings and dampness in the evenings, but summer holds on tightly here for that final hurrah.

The kids and I took advantage of the last afternoons of summer by hitting the park as the sun started its downward arc towards sunset.  Though she couldn't be expected to understand the significance of  these last moments of summer, my girl seemed to sense the change in the air.  She investigated the changing leaves, exclaimed over the acorns littering the sidewalks, and attacked the slides and ladders at the park with reckless abandon.  Abbey is usually a tough sell when I am ready to leave for home, but the promise of making dinner for Daddy was enough to coax her away from these stolen moments of play.  As many parents of two-year-olds can attest, getting her to leave without a tantrum of any kind made these visits to the park just a little sweeter.

What a difference a week makes, though.  The air is brisk; we're taking inventory of fall clothes and jackets and tights.  Welcome to fall in Michigan.

so warm that Dylan's hanging out in just a onesie 

Abbey was supposed to be putting on her shoes

she's trying to figure out if there's any coffee left in that cup 

boy in onesie next to brown, fallen leaf 

a girl on a mission 

the leaves are changing

one of my favorite parts of the season 

that's some serious sliding  

checking out some dogs