Transition from Summer to Fall

I definitely need to catch up here on the blog, but before I even get further behind I thought I should start in the present and then fill in our summer activities here and there when I have the time. A week ago, on the last day of summer, we headed down for an evening swim at the wading stream. It was 80-degrees that day and it seemed fitting to end summer with such a gorgeous, hot day. We wanted to soak up every last bit of the end of summer and that we did - what a perfectly lovely evening it was! There were signs of fall though - for one thing, the wading stream was practically empty of children and, secondly, there was a tinge of color on the tree leaves near the stream.

The next day was fall and it was cool and rainy - funny how the weather changed in perfect timing this year with the calendar change of the seasons. By the end of the week, it was sunny again, but there was a crispness in the air that whispered of the coming cold. Another sign of the beginning of fall for our family is the cranberry harvest at Kevin's parents'. Saturday dawned bright and sunny and so I decided to pack up the kids and head to the coast so they could take part in the harvest. It was my first out-of-town trip with all four kids by myself and it was a lot of work. I didn't get a chance to help out with the harvest myself (which I normally very much enjoy!), since my time was taken up so much with caring for Lizzy inside the house, but thankfully my mother-in-law helped with the baby too, so I was at least able to get outside for some pictures here and there. It was so much fun to see the kids actually being able to contribute to the work this year (albeit in very small ways and amounts!). :)

Jake picked some flowers for me!

Following Grandpa along.

Working at the shaker table that separates the vines from the berries. Jake declared it to be more fun than playing in the sand pile! :)

After getting ride on the four-wheeler and trailer out to the bog to pick up sacks, Abby and Ben helped to drag the sacks of cranberries into the warehouse for sorting.

I love fall....if only it didn't mean the cold, dreary winter was coming next. ;o)