And we're back!

Back to school? Not so much. Actually, for the first time in over two decades, I didn't go back to school this year. My parents came over and we had Chinese to celebrate. It does feel strange not to have anyone in our household going back. On Tuesday, I watched for the school bus to make its usual stop in front of our house, but it never came! Much to my surprise, as well as that of the parents and kids waiting, I'm sure, it doesn't go down our street anymore. I quite liked the routine of it.

And speaking of routine, that's what we're back into. After a wonderful summer filled with weddings and cottage weekends, we are back to staying home on Saturdays and Sundays, for the most part. It will probably be a very good thing for baby D, who is now 11 months and just starting to make strange. This past weekend, we were at my parents' cottage with them, and she was a tricky combination of sick, tired, and accident-prone. There was an incident involving a folding table and some squished fingers that I'd rather forget, although Hubby photographed the aftermath. Thank goodness for soft bones!

As much as it pains me to start saying goodbye to summer, I have always loved the fall. I'm so glad we live in a climate where we get to see the seasons change, for better and for worse. I don't mind the rain, and the cooler temperatures mean we'll spend more time outdoors (as I discovered this summer, neither D nor I do particularly well in extreme heat). There are also church bazaars to peruse, more fun weddings to attend, a very special first birthday to celebrate, baking to be done, and knitting to continue. Things will go back to normal, people won't be away on vacation, and we can resume spending time with friends and family nearby.

We wish summer a fond farewell with some pictures from Gams' cottage, where D had the opportunity to experience life sans electricity and running water.