hello FALL!

I love fall.  I love the change in leaves and the crispness of the air.  It is perhaps my favorite season.  Followed by winter for all the fun we can have in the snow, and spring because it's my birthday season, and of course summer for its lack of schedules and carefree living.   Fall has always been my favorite!  New beginnings, fresh starts, new clothes, starting anew while the world around you is shutting down.  I love fall even more now that we have our NH cottage.  We have been sneaking away every chance we get to go to the cottage on fall weekends.  It's been fun to see the change in the leaves and the lake.  Although a little sad to see all the camps closing up for the winter.  Docks are in, chairs are put away, everyone is buttoning down for winter.  But first, let's enjoy the fall!  

We had our friends and neighbors up for a quick overnight stay.  One, to do a masonry project on our chimney.  And two, to celebrate our friend Jeff's birthday.  And did we celebrate!  Lots of laughs and chatting and some of us had fore loko's and didn't go to bed till 2:00 A.M.!!  Perhaps the chatty Cathy's of the group shouldn't be the one's adding caffeine to the fun!  The next day we took them to the falls so they'd have a reason to come back next summer.  We met the coolest cat and got to enjoy the view and some chatting with the owner.  

Our friend put a new chimney cap on our chimney.  Keeps the rain and animals out and the heat in.  

I've also been trying to take advantage of every last fall day while in MA as well.  Hikes with friends and my dogs every morning.  Lots of beautiful views.  But there is still a lot more fall to come in Massachusetts.  We've spent the afternoons during our usual dance, soccer, hockey routines but have also sneaked in an afternoon at Choate Park for building fairy houses.  Apparently it's catching on in the park.  Fun to see kids, big and little, enjoying and playing and building in nature!  

View from the top of two of our favorite hikes. 

treat time!

A welcoming entrance for some fairies at Choate. 

We've also had the pleasure of our nieces company at the cottage over the last month.  Our niece Rachel came at the end of August on our daughter's birthday/our anniversary.  She flew into Boston for work and then borrowed her cousin's car and drove all the way to NH for the night.  Love that girl!  Never afraid to take an adventure!  Had dinner with her cousins, made a duck apple, hung out and talked into the whee hours, sampled cheese curds fresh from Wisconsin.  The next morning we hung out and had more cousin time but sadly she had to leave to make her work commitments.  It was a fun visit.  A month later we skyped her for her birthday and had to take this picture because she looked like she was the present.  What a gift to have her in our lives!!  

Love you girl!

Which takes us to last weekend.  Columbus Day weekend is always a hallmark weekend of fall in New England.  The leaves are at their peak and the weather is usually that perfect blend of crispness while still being sunny.   Rod's sister, Sue, and our niece, Nicole flew up from North Carolina to spend it with us.  The girls had an extra day off on Friday and Nicole was tracked out of her year long school year in NC so it was a 4 day get away for all of us.  We had such a nice visit.  Enjoyed some boating, swimming (even thought it's mid October and really wasn't that warm), campfires, dinners with cousins, pumpkin pancakes and more.   They had a blast giggling in the bunk room together and running through the woods playing elaborate games of hide and go seek and chase which involved chasing each other across the lake (in boats) and climbing trees.  We had a nice chance to catch up with Sue and we all got to enjoy NH during this beautiful time of year.

1, 2....

3!

And Nicole left laughing on the dock!

Dinners with lots of cute cousins!

And fires outside in the pit with s'mores or indoors to make the cottage feel cozy! 

We also spent one day at Sunapee for a fall festival.  Had the girls caricatures done.  Ate donuts from a string, jumped in a jumpy house and drank hot cider.  Oh and of course we had to do the high ropes course again with their cousin.  They had a blast showing her the ropes, literally!

So glad they came for a visit!  We got the boats put away and the dock out with a little help from Jody and Rob and did some more work around the cottage.  Mostly we just relaxed and had fun!  The last night the girls hot tubbed and hung out some more!  My girls are so fortunate to not only have each other but to have their 2 girl cousins who they are so close to and love like sisters.  They can be goofy and silly and themselves with them!  We are so fortunate to have such a wonderful family!