Hello,.... fall?

Fall has always been my favorite season. I love the slight chill in the air, the colors of the leaves, a good pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks, and even watching football games on the weekends. Once again, things are a little different this year. Even though my calendar says it should be fall, I still feel like it's July. I knew that by moving to Southwest Florida we would be trading in fall weather for an extended summer, but I didn't realize how strange that would actually feel. The sounds of football games on TV and sights of Halloween decorations at every retail store seem out of place against the backdrop of a beautiful blue sky and palm trees. Let's be honest: when you can still wear summer clothes and jump in the pool every day, it doesn't feel like the right time to sip a warm spiced beverage or decorate the house in deep reds, oranges, and purples. I can see why living in a tropical place is so relaxing--you lose all track of time because nature doesn't remind you that time has passed. I don't want to wake up tomorrow and realize that it's already Christmas, so I have decided that on October 1st I will get out my fall decorations (ok, maybe not all of them!) and celebrate the season. And in the meantime, I will enjoy the smells of sunscreen and the chill of iced coffee as I lounge by the pool. Happy fall!

standing tall

"Why do they always hide their stuff out of my reach?"

notice the little dirt moustache!

empty plastic bottles can make the best toys!

Andrew loves the irony here: sipping his favorite fall beer by the pool.