today looked like this.

casey and i went for a walk in the morning with my mom.  my mom is newly semi-retired, meaning she only works 2 days a week now.   we are all so grateful for her, her new freedom,  and extra time together.  summer is good for gathering beach treasures of course, but fall is awesome for gathering nature's other treasures like acorns, pine cones, chestnuts (my fave!), crab apples, and fallen leaves of every shape and color.  today was quite a pretty haul.  my mom even found one blue jay feather.  i knew kellen would just love that find when he got home from school.  he did, and it totally matched his blue eyes.

later casey and i picked blackberries that grow wild in the fringe of our backyard. i wore my new to me thrifted apron, (i think it is pretty) and we collected a small bowl of berries and ate them right away.  someone really likes her berries.... 

the evidence was all over her fingers and face.  fall has most definitely arrived here in our small part of the world. 

i sure do hope it sticks around for a long visit.   :)   but you knew that already.  

***oh, and on a really great note, kellen says to me at bedtime, "tomorrow i get to go to school again!"  with a smile on his face.  he then told me he will not be sad.  when i picked him up today he was flushed and sweaty.  i asked what he was doing and he told me he was chasing the girls at recess.   :)   i think the tide is changing a little.  and "opening house",  as he sweetly calls it, is thursday night and he is SUPER psyched for us to come and see what he has made so far.  and i am super psyched to see it all!