Autumn at the Nest

This morning started with the usual Special K breakfast or "Feh-shel" K as the girls once called it, milk was spilled (also a frequent occurrence). There was a moderate amount of screaming from O&A since Mommy can't move fast enough.  Once they were eating their oatmeal I finally got through on a call I had been trying to make. While I was away for about a minute & a half they poured the rest of their oatmeal out on the floor & I walked back in to Bella licking it up. Sidenote, whenever Bella is gone, I will want a puppy just for floor cleaning purposes but any of you who are reading this should convince me it would be easier to just clean the floor myself ; ) I cleaned up the boys & threw all the dirty dishes on the counter. Char asked if she could play with Bella in the backyard, Eloise followed. We bid farewell to Robby as he left for work....I could hear my inner voice yelling "Please don't leave! Stay with us!" but he was in the big red truck driving away as Owen & Anson watched from the window. When I peeked out at the girls, I noticed they had raked a massive pile of leaves onto the back patio. I was actually impressed! I looked at the dishes, the icky floor & a couple towers of dirty laundry & without much thought, I stepped out into the backyard. It is so nice to breathe some fresh air & take in the lovely season that is now upon us.  

I had looked through a Family Fun magazine I subscribe to & came across a photo of a hideout made from a box & covered with leaves. Their leaves (of course) were beautiful orange, red & yellow...they were probably fake. Our leaves are brown as brown can be. The girls thought it looked like just about the coolest thing ever. They have asked relentlessly if we can make one in our backyard but it wasn't until this weekend that we experienced the Pecan Trees surrendering most of their leaves to float down into our yard. I immediately thought "Today is the day!" I climbed up in the attic to retrieve one of our million moving boxes & cut out the peep hole. I realized that being only 24 inches tall, the girls would have to lay on their bellies to look out so, I headed back to attic to get another box. I made the necessary cuts & added some duct tape for reinforcement.  We decided that it would be most sturdy against the side of our house. We also put the kid sized adirondack chairs up against the other side for support. Then, me & my chickadees got to work moving the leaf pile to the hideout. In no time at all we had this....

With the added height of the other box, Eloise could stand up straight & Charlotte only had to hunch over a bit.  They said they were ready to squirrel hunt! Honestly, we could have a feast of squirrels from our own "land" and the best part...they'd never even see us coming ; )

The bubsters joined in. They look a lot alike in the first pic so I will go ahead & label...Anson on left, Owen on right. Once Owee took off, Anson found his thumb & took a break from the activity. 

 Then he decided that running through the leaves offered much more excitement!

Wagon rides are a must for playing outside...even if it just around the yard. Almost two year olds are so easy to entertain!

well only if you keep the wagon moving at all times...so pitiful.

The girls being quite domestic decided they needed some markers to make their hideout feel a bit more "homey." Eloise colored some leaves to put inside while Charlotte added a kitty cat & some flowers.

Owen got bored with the hideout pretty quick & took a stroll (ie speedy run away from mommy) down the side of the house. Here is the grin he gave me when he realized I was only steps behind.

He could hear cars going by in front of the house & was pretty darn excited to find a peep hole! 

I chased him back to the rest of the crew who were begging for me to rake all the leaves in a pile to jump in. Hilarious how it always sounds so good but is a bit painful when the pile isn't at least 2 feet deep! I certainly did make a large pile & certainly did not take into account the dog poop hiding underneath the blanket of leaves. So as not to talk too much about it I will just say that I did get to clean off some shoes & wipe down a camera that Charlotte set down without my permission....SICK! Anyway, the pile of leaves...poopie smell & all proved to be extremely fun!

I love the leaf stuck on Owen's head in the background. He was struggling to have a good time at this point in the morning.

He helped bury Charlotte then joined me on the sidelines to watch the leaf fight that ended with me having to break it up.

I faked being a really good sport when all four threw leaves on my head....it was hard to do as I pictured what I wiped off my camera moments earlier ; ) 

My buddy Owen who sat quietly on a rock next his mommy repeating "Leaf! Leaf!" over & over as we watched them fly brought a stillness to a moment that was anything but still.

With a deep sense of joy, I watched my little brood experience something new, something that they will remember as they grow & look forward to as the seasons change & something that God orchestrated in order for our playtime to happen. It reminded me of a song that when I think of, I am brought back to my first year at Texas Tech. My roommate Cheryl & I would turn this up quite loud & do some lyrical dancing (not a shining talent for either of us haha) when we hit our breaking point while studying for our pre- nursing course, Anatomy & Physiology. There were a lot of breaking points that year of studying which means a lot of this song & a lot of lyrical dancing ;) Oh how I loved being roommates with her! Never a dull moment.

This beautiful song is called Every Season by Nichole Nordeman.  I have chosen to share only the Autumn portion in this post but plan to cover each season over the coming year. 

And even when the trees have just surrendered 
To the harvest time 
Forfeiting their leaves in late September 
And sending us inside 
Still I notice You when change begins 
And I am braced for colder winds 
I will offer thanks for what has been and what's to come 
You are autumn

It is lovely to be in a place to experience a bit of Fall, something we missed while having only palm trees in the Sunshine State. As I looked up at our trees this morning noticing how the "trees had just surrendered" I was thinking about change. I was thinking about all that has happened since last fall when we had no idea we would be abruptly moving, starting new jobs, dealing with multiple health issues & life change. In some ways it feels like we are experiencing the "colder winds" that we "braced for." We are missing friends & our CCC family which in turn causes us to "offer thanks for what has been."  There is much to be thankful for as we reflect on all that God graciously provided for us during our time in Orlando. Just to name a few: a church family that encouraged us in the Gospel on a daily basis, four children, a home where we were able to host others often, neighbors we connected with, the stripping away of pride within each of us as we learned to lead others & a deep appreciation of friends who feel like family when far away from what we called home. We can "give thanks for what's to come" knowing that God will continue to make us more like him, He will deepen relationships with friends & family here & He will provide all that we need. 

My prayer is that I will continue to notice Him when change begins, that I would reflect on his faithfulness & look forward to what is ahead. Turns out that neglecting the inside of the nest this morning might have been the best decision of the week!  Such a good reminder to just "take it easy" sometimes....easy on yourself, easy on the dirty house & easy on the kids...let them roll around in poopie leaves & add to the pile of laundry ; ) Praying that your week would offer reflection on all there is to be thankful for whether you are in a time of great joy or deep sadness or possibly both at the same time. Happy Autumn!