Fall Revisited

Today I raked our leaves.  I love raking leaves.  I love playing in leaves, but this year was kind of a let down in the leaf department.  Our leaves fell late and once they were on the ground they were promptly rained on for 10 days straight.  This year they went straight into the bags - so sad.

As I dumped them in I thought about last year and how we worked our way through the yard making piles and piles and piles - playing, hiding, nesting, throwing, cuddling, stomping, pretending - and filling bags as we went - 38 bags, bags taller than Bel.  We spent a lot of hours enjoying our leaves and we loved every minute of it.

So today I'm definitely disappointed to see all our leaves meet their demise at the blade of the mower or the darkness of a giant brown paper sack - the poor things didn't get to meet the full measure of their creation.  Fallen leaves play an important role in making a full, lived, happy childhood.  I remember walking down the street and making sure I crunched through as many leaves as possible on my trek home from the bus.  I remember finding and pressing the loveliest and most colorful fall leaves with my mama.  I remember making a pile in my parent's front yard with my friend Andie (although, I'm sure my mom actually did the work), then we got 2 long sleds and made a little coffin inside the pile - we took turns burying each other, then we popped out of it yelling, over and over and over again.  It never got old.  I'd do it again this year... if I had dry, non-moldy leaves... and two long sleds... and if Andie still lived a door away.

I love fall.  I love when the air feels crisp and smells smokey - I love when the leaves change color - I love when the wind blows and sends the leaves flying and falling to the ground - I loved collecting leaves with my mama and now I love collecting leaves with my daughter - I loved crunching my way home through the leaves and now I love crunching the leaves around our home with my son - I loved playing in the leaves with my friend and I still do.  I love raking leaves.

So cheers to fall - past, present and future.

These photos and videos are from last year and some of my all time favorite memories with the kids.

We had lots of fun watching the pros with their big trucks.  There was a line of 5 of these that steadily worked their way down our street all week, cutting off branches and grinding them up - it was awesome.

Bel is pretending to read a story to Jack - she even has her hands in the shape of a book. They sat here for at least 30 minutes telling stories.

I really stressed out my computer trying to upload all these at the same time, but I couldn't resist.  I love the pure unbridled laughter of my kids in the first one.  I love Bel talking to the camera in the second one.  I love the interaction of my kids in the third one. And I just think the last one is hilarious.