Thanksgiving

 A gathering of family in one of my most favorite places. Peaceful, snowflakes drifting to the ground, quiet until we all rolled in...
Music...

 

Cousins giggling, sharing, playing and loving...

Waiting in line to make ice cream with Boppa...

Such silly, fun, FULL good times. Thankful <3 p="">

And gone again...

The snow has left for now, but we tucked in a bit and been thinking about our friends outside this winter and our own winter stores...

And letting off a little steam in our sneakers while we can...

The gray branches of the November trees.
The warm sun.
Golden oak leaves blanketing the ground.
Inside (and out) I am building a cubby for all those hats and mittens soon to come.

And... Already filled to the brim and waiting for more snow to come!

Hello Snow

Wow. The Snow is here. Now. So beautiful...

And so it begins... Goodbye geese, hello snow. This could be a good one...

A hand me down, a handmade and a man-boy made

Three sweet pumpkins carved by three sweet kids in the warm sunshine. Roasted pumpkin seeds were devoured as we waited for the sun to set and see those little pumpkins lighted.

 

Magnus wears his dinosaur hand me down to the grocery store, the gym and everywhere in between so it was no surprise he was wanting to wear that on Halloween. Kasper ran to the dress up box and made a Viking costume to showcase his handmade sword from school. Little AnaSofia required a trip to the fabric store to pick out fabric for her "flower fairy" costume. Oh my girl! She loves bright, wild colors and lots of fancy embellishments. 

After their school parade and celebration they were ready to hit the streets to trick or treat. Thank goodness for our little pumpkin fairy... And thank goodness the big kids like her so much - they taught Magnus all about her and each is so excited for the little handmade love she will leave in exchange for leftover candy. She has been a treasure for three years running and hopefully many more.

Cranberry Season

Last year when we lived on the farm in the field, cranberries were just a hike out back in a secret little field. Thankfully, our friends who live there have allowed us to trek back anytime, but with three little ones - a drive and then a hike with no berries to show for is a risky venture, I don't know how many times I can get away with it! - so I waited until quite late for us all to head out hoping there would be plenty of berries and that they would be ripe.
The kids loved hiking our old stomping grounds and remembering our numerous adventures on the trails. It was a beautiful few years there. I do miss that farmhouse so much.

Thankfully the cranberry queen favored us and berries were found!

It was an afternoon of full hearts and full bellies (really, they ate a lot of cranberries!) and all those crowns on our heads - I carefully planted at home in a little patch of cranberries we noticed in the corner of our field in hopes that next year and the following years, we will have our own harvest in our own back field.

Fall Harvesting

                       

 Apple picking, the changes of colors in the blueberry fields, cranberries ripening - it has begun.We are preserving and pulling it all in. Saving the last bits of summer sun's hard work for our winter ahead.

 

Cabbage from our CSA is turning to kraut. And bushels of beans from the farmers market are being fermented into dilly beans and I might have even started paperwhites very early, just because it felt right.

 Even though the days and nights here are looking a bit like Fall...

We have been taking the time to explore, breathe and be together as a family. I do so love those moments together.

  My whole heart is wrapped up in those four.