Fleeting

I can't believe September is already gone!  It was a lovely month; I love this time of year for so many reasons.  The main reason I love it so much is that it seems to go by too quickly.  Fall vanishes before our eyes, and soon the days are cold and the trees are bare.  One day you notice the fall colors, and the next day they seem to be gone, usually in a gust of wind.  The word "fleeting" has come up in a couple of recent conversations to describe these beautiful days, and I couldn't agree more.

Another reason I love September: back to school!  It seems to bring a much-needed routine back to our home.  I love how much they both still love school.



Dane's first day of first grade.



Nora started pre-K this year, two mornings a week at the same school Dane attends.   



Giving the kitties some love before Nora's first day of pre-K.





Nora loves to write and draw for us!



 Yard work slows down dramatically this time of year, especially with our lack of rain.



Blossoming succulents.




I had to bring in my plants a few weeks ago because of an early frost.



 Apples!  Our tree was loaded this year.  It seems to bear every other year.



Dane helped pick from the loader of the tractor.




Tired after picking many bags full!

  Here are some random photos of our cuddly kitten Pepin who is growing so quickly.  He loves to sleep near your head at night.  This wouldn't be a problem, except that any time you stir, he purrs very loudly!



Harry is getting bigger, but he's still so tame after spending the summer out to pasture with older, less sociable cattle.





A long-overdue photo of our sweet nephew Milo.



 I love the fall harvest.  Here are some of the pumpkins, squash and gourds from our garden.

 A bunch of random fall photos from around home.

 More pictures taken from our neighboring areas.

 Beautiful evening skies.



Sliver of a moon.



 Homecoming game 2012.  I love watching football games during the cool fall evenings.



Punt, pass and kick contest.





Hair and faces painted for team spirit.



Enjoy October!!

Sending off summer

School starts tomorrow, which means summer is over in this household.  We have been soaking up every last moment, especially enjoying time at our local lakes with recent warm temperatures.



Swimming at Starbuck Beach in Lake Minnewaska.




Daddy is so much fun!




Dane wanted to play some tennis nearby.



 Later this evening, Ben and Jen camped along Lake Minnewaska, and we enjoyed supper with them around a campfire.  We also walked to the local Dairy Queen for a treat.

The following day, Grampy and Grammy invited many friends to enjoy the day at their lake home.  I didn't take too many pictures, but everybody enjoyed the lake!



Dad and his closest brother Brian went for a canoe ride. 



This week, we went to Elk Lake four different days.  The beach is always so much fun. 

Today, the kids found this baby snapping turtle in the lake.

Dane learned to swim very well recently and started going off the diving board without a life jacket a week ago!

Today, he went for his first solo kneeboard ride and did great.  I was in the water getting him started, and Daddy was driving the boat, so there are no photos or videos of this milestone.

We and 226,000+ others braved the heat and the crowds to take in the "Great Minnesota Get Together" on Saturday.  We met Mike's siblings and their families, and I must admit it was quite a challenge to keep all 13 of us together in the crowd!

Zach and Dane walking the midway.

Nora was happy to have cotton candy!

These cookies were so delightful- fresh from the oven!

The streets were seas of people.

A cutie and her cone.

 I am becoming a morning person.  There is something about the promise of a new day that makes me so grateful.  The skies this morning were so beautiful and misty that I couldn't resist taking a slew of pictures during my bike ride.

 Mike and the kids went walking through some of the pasture this morning and discovered a few wild plum trees.  I had Nora lead me back to them so we could pick a few.

She looks so grown up here...

This way, Momma...

Success!

A beautiful view of our barn from near the newly discovered plum trees.

Farewell, summer!  You will be missed until next year!