Autumn Splendor

On Sunday we went for a hike as a family at McDowell Nature Preserve, on the very first trail we hiked after Mike took the job here.

~ Mike and Laurel ~

Mother Nature was so beautiful - Autumn colors at their peak.

We made time for a little bit of creek play.

And took in the fruits of recent rains.

I captured this very sweet exchange between Mike and Laurel.

~ Log-jumping Lela ~

Family hikes remind us that

we are not there to connect with nature.

They remind us that We Are Nature.

Peace,

Carrie

Reconnect

Peace,

Carrie

Halloween Celebration

For the second year in a row, we have spent Halloween with our circle of friends.

~ Crafting their special flower necklaces ~

~ Laurel carefully threading beads ~

~ Liv licking the yarn to make beading easier ~

~ Mike and the girls carving turnips ~

The girls wanted to be faeries and specific ones at that! From Cicely Mark Barker's Flower Fairies books: Lela chose the Poppy Fairy, Liv the Rose Hip Fairy and Laurel the Elderberry Fairy. (Elderberry Fairy was especially poignant this year seeing as we have been taking it regularly for the various sicknesses. Elderberry is an excellent herb for healing.)

~ The Poppy Fairy AKA Lela ~

Their costumes were all handmade from old clothes or linens that were in the "to be upcycled" box. Well they aren't quite "upcycled" but they had fun with them. The wings were butterflies that were hanging from their bedroom ceiling. After the bunkbeds went up, everything on the ceiling came down, so we put them to use.

~ Laurel as the Elderberry Fairy ~

~ An arboreal Rose Hip Fairy - Livvy ~

We attended a wonderful celebration at Erin and Tim's house. Everyone brought delicious food, inspired by their ancestors. I brought a locally raised pot roast and mashed potatoes, as well as a sweet potato casserole.

~ Mike as the Tree Fairy ~

After the amazing dinner, there was a Costume Parade through the backyard. Then the Daddies went down into the woods for the Trick or Treat Trail. The Mommas led the group down the trail for their yummy treats. At the end of the trail was a fire for roasting marshmallows. The kids couldn't wait to get back to go through their treats. My favorite part was that Nova wanted a pear but didn't get one. We had three so we shared with him. How sweet that his most coveted item was fruit!


There was also a cute craft as well as lawnmower hayrides. Yes, that's right - my kids all had so much fun, but I think that Tim had the most fun. :) Please check out this post on Erin's blog for some really cute pictures from the party, including lawnmower hayrides!


Also, check out Beth's blog post as well for more pictures!

Peace,
Carrie