(no subject)

I am up early on this last day of vacation. Settling back in, getting my bearings and transitioning to Fall. Today we plan on planting mums and pansies, hanging the fall wreath, making beach shadowboxes to remember this last, glorious week together as we said farewell to Summer 2012.

What a difference a year makes!



It was impossible to get our two active toddlers to sit for their 2012 picture - and I think it makes it even more perfect. This is life in the Ark, ya'll. Seriously. Fishing, playing, digging, adventuring. We took the boys to the aquarium one day, too - and that was a blast. Brenner learned that a chicken says bock bock and pointed at every seagull yelling BIRD! Brooks was a star adventurer - he picked up his own first sea shell and gasped and brought it back to me. And I think he might have chased every kite on the beach.

We are already homesick for our little beach house and the quiet style of relaxation this family luxuriated in last week.

We returned to a cold, fall-like day in the Valley. The trees are taking on that distinctly golden pre-fall hue as the leaves determine whether to hang on or fall now.

I feel a little guilty not going to work today, but I am grateful to have one more day with the kids and my wife (and mother in law!) before having to really get back into the groove.

I hope your weeks all went well - I look forward to starting to dig back through old entries to catch up on your lives. What's new?

(no subject)

I am up early on this last day of vacation. Settling back in, getting my bearings and transitioning to Fall. Today we plan on planting mums and pansies, hanging the fall wreath, making beach shadowboxes to remember this last, glorious week together as we said farewell to Summer 2012.

What a difference a year makes!



It was impossible to get our two active toddlers to sit for their 2012 picture - and I think it makes it even more perfect. This is life in the Ark, ya'll. Seriously. Fishing, playing, digging, adventuring. We took the boys to the aquarium one day, too - and that was a blast. Brenner learned that a chicken says bock bock and pointed at every seagull yelling BIRD! Brooks was a star adventurer - he picked up his own first sea shell and gasped and brought it back to me. And I think he might have chased every kite on the beach.

We are already homesick for our little beach house and the quiet style of relaxation this family luxuriated in last week.

We returned to a cold, fall-like day in the Valley. The trees are taking on that distinctly golden pre-fall hue as the leaves determine whether to hang on or fall now.

I feel a little guilty not going to work today, but I am grateful to have one more day with the kids and my wife (and mother in law!) before having to really get back into the groove.

I hope your weeks all went well - I look forward to starting to dig back through old entries to catch up on your lives. What's new?