Fall Sunshine

While we were in Norway one of the things we missed the most was the fall season. It just doesn't exist in Stavanger.  The weather turns from cool and frequently wet to more cool and nearly always wet. We missed fall, it is our favorite season.  The time for going back to school, playing in the leaves and soaking up the warm sunshine in crispy air.  I am so glad that it has been a beautiful September so far. 

These are some pictures from our fun in the fall sunshine, except this first one which is a picture of Maarit in her chair at her purple group table at school.  Her teacher must have known about her and purple!  This picture was taken at the Mesabi East Open House night before school started.  Now with more than 3 weeks in school, Maarit has settled in and is really enjoying being a school girl!

A couple weekends ago we visited the Wertinen Pioneer Farm out in Palo/Markham area, just down the road from our house.  The farm day is for people to come out and enjoy the old Finnish farmstead carved out of the swampy woods by a crazy Finnlander back in the early 1900s.  The farm is quite beautiful with all the original buildings, all made by hand and still standing today.  Maarit likes to go visit the animals folks bring to show how the farm would have run.  Here we are with the work horses who were tilling with a old pull-along tiller. 

There is also a little petting zoo.   The little animals are Maarit's favorite part of the visit.

Gus enjoyed napping in the sunshine and drumming on pumpkins!

This was just one ridiculously cute thing we saw in the petting zoo area and I had to have a picture of it.  I thought this kind of thing only happened on Easter cards.

Gus thought the ducklings and chicks were funny. He giggled at them and wanted to pat them, but at the moment he has a difficult time with being gentle so he only got to look.

Last weekend we enjoyed the sunshine in our own backyard.  He had a few folks over for some kickball and a bonfire. Before they came our family played in the yard and soaked in the sunshine. Gus was particularly proud of the stick he found that afternoon.

Here he is showing off his two bottom teeth!

Maarit was not so interested in pictures because she was busy building this "meatball stick" for what end purpose I am not entirely sure, but she was in to it!

These are some of the fun kickball pictures we captured from the Dads versus kids kickball game.
A lot of fun was had by the Dads...and the kids who beat the Dads 11-?.

Gus gnawed on the ketchup while he watched sister and the big kids play.

And here is Maarit in the tree with all her boy friends. There is her best pal Aiden in yellow and then Sean, her life-long crush and Isaac his little brother.  She has known these boys since she was born and it was precious to see her reunited with them in lots of rambunctious play.

Here's hoping for more beautiful fall weather and the rain to hold off so the leaves turn beautiful colors and stay on the trees as long as they can!  Happy Fall!